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GAULT'S  REPORTS 

ENTITLED 

A  COAT  OF  MANY  COLORS 


.4«j^ 


THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


JOSEPH  GAULT'S 


FIFTH   EDITION 
OF  HIS 


re;ports 


ENTITLED 


A  Coat  of  Many  Colors. 


AMERICUS  LAW  BOOK  CO. 

AMERICUS,  GA. 

1902. 


•         •  •  -         *         'r  *      ',*     •  *  • 


1  *      • *        .r 


Fhl 
^4  0-^ 


>:  DEDICATED 

^* 

%y. 

'■±  To  the  Learned  Jurist  pouring  over   the  the  Black  Letters 

of  ages  past : 

,^  To  the  Statesman  framing  theories  and  systems  of  govern- 

in 

^     ment  to  hand  down  to  posterity : 
o 
'"^  To  the  Dvinie  whose  heart   is  full  of  melted  charity,  who 

administers  to  the  soul   of  man  and    minds  diseased : 

6  To  the  Notary  Public    and  Justices  of  the    Peace  who  ad- 

^      minister  the  Laws  and  Statutes  of  Georgia  impartially : 

cj  Also  to  Fiddlers  and  Dancing  Masters. 

'; 

a 
-I 
< 


449645 


PREFACE. 


I  deem  it  a  duty  I  owe    myself,  the    pul)lio  and   posterity, 
to  give  them  a  brief  biograpliy  and  autobiography.     All  desire 
to  be  acquainted  with  the  private  history  of  an   author,  and  it 
is  disrespectful  to    disappoint    public    curiosity.     I  will  give  a 
plain  history  of  myself ;  I  will    speak  the    truth  of  myself  and 
my  Reports,  for  if  I  do  not,  others  will.     I  will  make  this  open 
confession  of  myself  and    my   literary  labours,  even  though  it 
renders  me  liable  to    the    charge  of   vanity  and  presumption. 
Others  equal  and  even  superior  to  me  have  set  me  the  example, 
and  I  will  profit    by  it.     It  is  a    vast  happiness    to  possess  the 
pleasures  of  the  head,   the   only  resources  in  which  a  man  can 
indulge,  without  falling  into  excesses,  and  of  which,  he  cannot 
be  deprived  by  envy,  malice,  or  the  insolence  of  wealth,  power 
or  Ijirth.     I  expect  no  other  favor  but  that   conferred  on   the 
merits  of   my   professional    battlings.     I  would  have   made  it 
fuller  in  its    proportions  and  symmetrical,  but  as  I  have  but  a 
short  time  to  live,    I  was    unwilling    that  posterity  should    be 
deprived  of   it,  and  that  it   should  be    buried  with  me.     Many 
cities  disputed  the  honor  of  giving  birth  to  Homer,  and  I  would 
prevent  such  dispute  affecting  myself  when  I  shall  be  no  more. 
I  declare  to  you  my  kind  readers  that  I  was  born  in  Union 
District — in  that  patriotic  State,  South    Carolina,  on  the  14th 
of  May,  A.  D.,  1794.     At  my  birth  no  declarations  of  war  was 
declared  amongst  the  nations  of  the   earth — no  ships  wrecked 
on  sea,  nor  hurricanes  on  land — neither  earthquakes   nor  the 
falling  of  comets,  affrighted  the  world — nor  was  any  new  plan- 
ets discovered  in  the  Heavens — though  an  earthly  one  appeared. 
I  emigrated   to  Georgia   in  the  year   A.  D.  1820,  and   have  re- 
sided there  ever  since.     I  was  among  the  early  settlers  of  Cobb 
County  and  ever  since  resided  in  and   around  Marietta,  one  of 
the  most  thriving  cities  in  our  enterprising  and  noble  State.    I 
commenced  the  study  and  practice  of  law,  late  in  life,  without 
fri(Mi(ls — without  patronage — without    wealth — with  a  limited 


Preface.  3 

education  and  without  much  book  knowledge — but  a  better 
knowledge,  that  of  man — very  necessary  for  a  lawyer — for  he 
ought  to  know  the  workings  of  the  human  heart,  and  if  he  does, 
he  will  extract  from  it  virtues  which  adorn,  or  vices  which  de- 
grade it.  He  will  often  discover  honesty  under  a  home  spun 
coat,  and  villany  closely  buttoned  up  under  a  fine  broad  cloth 
one.  Truth  in  the  broad,  good-humored  face  of  the  farmer ; 
cunning  and  false-hood  in  the  slick  smiling  face  of  the  gentle- 
man. 

A  large  dependent  family  of  females  hath  compelled  me  to 
take  all  the  fees  I  could  honestly  get,  and  to  practice  very  ex- 
tensively and  successfully  in  Justice's  Courts,  where  the  law  is 
rendered  very  complex  from  the  profundity  of  its  expounders. 
I  have  labored  very  industriously  to  ascertain  its  true  intent 
and  meaning  from  their  application.  I  have  deeply  explored 
their  intricate  and  luminous  decisions.  Have  minutely  exam- 
ined their  forms  and  rules  of  practice  and  can  say,  without 
vanity,  I  declare  that  I  am  mere  deeply  indoctrinated  in  their 
mysteries  than  any  of  my  professional  Brothers.  I  reconcile 
many  of  their  contradictions — detect  their  errors  and  apply 
the  remedy  whenever  the  kind  and  placid  tempers  of  their  hon- 
ors permit  me  to  be  the  friend  of  the  court.  The  young  aspir- 
ant for  legal  fame  and  honor,  has  in  these  courts  however  a 
luxuriant  field  in  which  he  may  gather  a  rich  harvest  of  legal 
learning.  He  may  dispense  with  the  classic  Blackstone,  and 
the  quaint  and  learned  Coke,  and  if  he  wishes  to  build  up  his 
reputation,  I  would  advise  him  to  lay  in  his  materials  at  those 
quarries  of  legal  science.  The  reason  I  have  been  so  particu- 
lar in  liiography,  is,  that  it  has  been  doubted  whether  I  was 
not  a  fictitious  personage.  My  identity  can  be  verified  by 
hundreds  and  particularly  by  all  Justices  of  the  Peace  in  Cobb 
County  and  the  adjacent  counties,  they  being  my  very  good 
friends  and  loving  patrons. 

As  to  the  veracity  of  my  reports,  I  do  vouch  for  them  on  the 
honor  of  my  professional  reputation.  They  are  as  true  and 
faithful  reports  as  Sanders,  Strange,  modern  Coke,  Charlton 
or  Kelly;  under  the  plastic  hand  of  Longstreet,  they  might 
liave  been  written  not  truer.     Kind  reader  do    you   wish  more 


4  Preface. 

eviiU'iiee — 1  will  advanco  it — refer  to  their  internal  evidence — 
compare  them  with  cases  and  decisions  daily  occiiring  and  de- 
livered before  similar  tril)iinals,  and  you  will  need  no  further 
proof.  I  am  convinced  that  my  professional  brethren  will  ex- 
tend to  me  their  patronage.  They  will  not  al)andon  one  of  their 
house-hold — they  will  not  be  reproached  with  a  want  of  liberty. 
The  Judges  of  Superior  Courts  are  wise  men,  drinking  in  legal 
learning  from  every  legal  spring;  they  too  will  smile  upon  my 
lal)ours.  The  Justices  of  the  Peace  with  open  hands  and 
hearts  will  see  how  exalted  is  their  station — how  sacred  their 
trust  and  what  a  monument  I  have  raised  to  their  wisdom — 
how  their  wisdom  is  perpetuated.  They  will  read  and  digest, 
this  my  fourth  tribute  to  their  merits.  The  divine,  whose 
heart  is  full  of  melted  charity,  will  become  my  patron,  for  a 
mirror  is  held  up  to  vice  reflecting  its  hideousness.  I  say  then, 
in  the  words  of  the  sweet  Spencer. 

Go  little  book — tliysolf  present, 
As  child  whose  parent  is  unkent 
And  if  thatenv}'-  back  at  thee 
As  one,  it  will  for  sucker  flee. 
Under  the  shadow  of  thy  wing. 

The  Author. 


Nullification, 


After  the  ratification  of  a  treaty  of  peace  in  the  year  1814, 
at  Ghent,  the  United  States  was  getting  along  in  peace  and 
harmony  with  all  nations.  Agriculture  was  improving  all  over 
the  State  for  about  fifteen  years,  or,  about  the  date  of  1880, 
when  the  politicians  of  South  Carolina,  John.C.  Calhoun,  at 
the  head  of  the  van,  commenced  canvassing  the  State  from 
county  to  county,  and  advising  the  people  to  nullify  the  laws 
of  the  United  States ;  that  the  laws  was  oppressive  to  the 
South  and  unconstitutional.  He  called  the  legislature  together 
at  Columbia  and  laid  his  Message  before  the  body,  in  which, 
he  advised  them  to  nullify  the  acts  of  Congress,  so  far  as  res- 
pected paying  the  duties  on  imports  or  exports,  and  for  that 
body  to  make  arrangements  for  to  lay  in  heavy  munitions  of 
war,  and  call  upon  him,  James  Hamilton,  then  Governor  of 
South  Carolina  for  troops,  and  he  would  furnish  twelve  thou- 
sand troops — that  was  in  1832 — Andrew  Jackson  was  at  that 
time  in  the  Presidential  seat.  He  immediately  equipped  a 
United  States  vessel  with  a  revenue  officer  on  board,  together 
with  his  Euchas,  Bull,  or,  mandate  informing  him  (Hamilton) 
that  if  he  thought  he  could  nullify  the  laws  of  the  United 
States  peaceably,  and  trample  them  under  foot  with  impunity, 
that  he  was  mistaken,  and  that  if  he,  (Hamilton)  thought  he 
could  do  it  by  the  dint  of  arms,  that  he  would  hang  him  as 
high  as  Haman  hy  the  Eternal  God.  That  put  an  end  to  nul- 
lification in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia ;  they  then  took  oft" 
their  buttons  and  badges  of  nullification  and  lay  nuter,  and 
then  they  took  a  short  nap,  only  eighteen  years,  from  1832 
until  1850 — then  when  they  awoke  up  from  a  nap  of  18  years 
and  rubbed  their  eyes  and  yawned  and  stretched  their  limbs, 
they  said  if  they  could  not  nullify  the  laws  of  the  United 
States,  by  G — d  they  had  the  right  to  secede,  and  did  secede. 


(5  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

Secession. 


About  the  year  1850-51  South  Carolina,  after  a  short  nap 
of  aliout  IS  years,  from  1882  to  1850,  she  awoke  up,  pregnated 
with  the  old  leven  of  nullification  and  said,  if  they  could  not 
nullify  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  she  could  and  would 
secede  and  sever  from  the  United  States  and  frame  a  Govern- 
ment of  her  own,  called  the  Southern  Confederacy — and  had 
for  her  motto  a  rattle  snake  lying  in  its  quoil  at  the  root  of  a 
Palmetto  tree,  and  this  child  secession  was  begotton  by  a  noble 
sire  called  nullification — conceived  in  corruption  and  brought 
forth  in  iniquity,  and  in  fifty  the  lavy  of  secession  boiled  over 
the  Savannah  river  into  Georgia;  at  that  time  there  was  a  di- 
versity of  opinion  amongst  people,  some  was  afriad  that  it 
would  involve  us  in  war  and  others,  that  it  would  cause  a  revolt 
amongst  their  slaves,  and  perhaps  would  lead  to  abolishing  of 
slavery — other  said  no,  no  danger — then  corrupt  politicians 
and  demagogues  commenced  canvassing  the  country  from  vil- 
lage to  village  and  from  one  stump  to  another,  and  from  the 
head  of  one  whisky  barrel  to  another,  making  political  speeches 
and  telling  the  people  that  the  North  was  imposing  on  the 
South ;  that  the  South  paid  nine-tenths  of  the  taxes  into  the 
United  States  Treasury,  and  it  was  high  time  that  the  South 
should  look  around  and  take  care  for  herself,  and  the  doctrine 
was  secession  and  a  government  of  her  own  framing,  and  that 
we  had  a  country  adapted  to  the  growth  of  cotton, rice  and  other 
grain,  suitable  for  the  consumption  of  a  free  and  independent 
government,  and  in  a  short  time  we  would  double  the  Northern 
States  in  factories;  that  we  would  raise  raw  material,  (cotton) 
at  home,  and  that  cotton  was  king  of  the  South,  and  that  on 
the  credit  of  king  cotton  we  would  strike  post  notes,  bills  of 
exchange,  bank  notes,  etc.,  and  that  on  the  credit  of  king  cot 
ton,  they  will  go  equal  to  gold  or  silver  in  all  mercantile  coun 
tries  in  Europe,  and  we  will  grow  up  in  riches  and  wealth  as  the 
fatted  calf  of  the  stall;  and  in  process  of  time  they  called  for 
Delegates  to  meet  at  Macon,  to  determine  the  question  of 
secession,  and   called  an  election  for   that  purpose.     By  that 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  7 

time  their  demagogues  had  made  many  proselites,  in  particu- 
lar, those  who  are  aspiring  to  office,  and  who  had  fed  and  fat- 
tened on  the  spittle  of  politicians  and  demagogues.  At  length 
the  day  of  election  come  and  thg  polls  opened,  and  the  names 
of  three  candidates  sounded  all  secess,  and  was  elected  without 
opposition.  In  a  short  time  they  met  at  Macon,  and  in  a  short 
time  returned,  and  said  that  they  had  adjourned  to  meet  in  Sa- 
vannah; they  met  according  to  adjournment  and  brought  that 
glorious  news  of  glad  tidings,  that  Georgia  had  Seceded,  and 
Jeff  Davis  was  our  President,  and  elected  by  acclamation,  and 
then  adjourned  to  meet  at  Montgomery. 


The  First  Confederate  Congress  at  Montgomery,  State  of  Alabama. 


The  Congress  then  met,  and  I  do  think,  that  they  did  not 
do  anything  of  much  importance.     They  passed  a  law  to  strike 
a  great  many  millions  of  dollars  on  the  Confederate  States,  pay- 
able a  certain  length  of  time  after  the   ratification  of  a  treaty 
of  peace  between  the  United  States  and  the  Confederate  States, 
{which  they  knew   would  never  become   due,)  and  passed  some 
laws  as  respected  raising  an  army.     Here  came  the  tug  of  war, 
politicians  and  demagoges, mountain  whisky  barrels  and  stumps 
— cries   out  aloud  Fellow-citizens,  our  country  is  about  to  be 
invaded  by  the  United  States  army — we   have   long  borne  the 
abuse  of  Abolitionists  and  Yankees,  until  forbearance  has  ceas- 
ed to  be  a  virtue,  and  seceded  from  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment— and  now  Fellow-citizens  they  are  preparing  to    invade 
our  plentiful  and    peaceful  homes   in  order  to  harass  and  op- 
press, and  drive  us  to  subjugation. — Now,  Fellow-citizens,   let 
us  all,  with  one  voice,    resolve  to  conquer   or   die  free.     You 
have  mothers,  you  have  sisters,  and  also  you  have  sweet  hearts 
whom  you  love — and  will  you  through  fear   and  cowardice,  see 
those  objects  of  your  love  and  affection  trampled  upon  and  in- 
sulted by  a  tyrannical  foe?     Ladies,  if  you  have  a  beau  who  re- 
fuses to  volunteer  in  defense  of  your  person  and  property,  dis- 


8  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

curd  him  as  a  low  down  coward,  and  do  not  suffer  him  to  keep 
your  comi)any.  And  you  young  men,  that  have  no  families  vol- 
unteer and  let  those  who  have,  stay  at  home,  and  will  say  to  you, 
that  you  will  not  be  gone  longer  than  three  or  four  months, 
and  we  want  a  respectable  army — and  when  Lincoln  sees  what 
an  army  the  Confederates  has  in  the  field  he  will  knock  under. 
Yes,  says  another,  and  if  he  does  not  knock  under  England  and 
France  will  make  him  knock  under,  for  England  and  France 
have  both  recognized  the  Confederacy  as  an  independent  gov- 
ernment. No,  gentlemen,  there  will  not  be  a  drop  of  blood 
shed--!  will  bind  myself  to  drink  all  the  blood  tliat  is  shed  in 
this  war;  but  said  a  by  stander,  but  sir,  the  North  greatly  out 
numbers  the  South,  twenty-three  millions  to  five.  No  differ- 
ence, for  one  Southerner  can  whip  five  Ysiukees,  yes  strce  dob. 
By  such  similar  arguments  held  forth  to  the  ignorant,  the  gay 
and  the  giddy,  who  was  drunk  with  heady  passions,  giddy  wine. 
By  such  stratagem  the  South  soon  had  one  hundred  thousand 
or  more  in  the  field,  good  honest  young  men,  who  was  hum- 
buged  into  the  field. 

The  second  Confederate  Congress  met  in  Richmond,  Va. 
The  first  army  of  young  men,  principal  Volunteers  were  much 
cut  up  and  demoralized  by  wickedness  and  the  sword.  The 
Congress  that  passed  a  law  to  take  all  able  bodied  men  from 
18  to  35,  then  the  South  had  a  most  efficient  army  that  she  had 
or  ever  had  afterward.  That  army  of  brave  men  was  soon 
thinned,  and  more  troops  was  called  for — by  that  time  volun- 
teering had  played  out — now  what  is  to  ))e  done  to  keep  up  an 
army?  We  will  first  pass  an  exemption  Bill  and  then  we  will 
pass  a  conscript  bill.  First,  they  exempted  all  persons  who  was 
the  owner  of  ten  slaves,  or  who  controlled  ten  slaves,  {thcprc- 
sumftwn  is  that  they  were  all  exempt)  for  to  stay  at  home  to 
farm,  to  make  a  support  for  widows  and  orphans.  At  what  price 
per  bushel,  fifty  cents  in  gold  or  silver,  or  ten  dollars  in  Con- 
federate money,  the  Congress  neglecting  to  make  it  a  lawful 
tender  in  payment  of  all  debts  contracted  during  the  war,  and 
left  these  exempted  men  to  repudiate  the  currency  of  the  coun- 
try. Then  to  keep  up  rank  and  file  they  passed  a  law  to  con- 
script all  persons  from  18  to 45  or  50,  (if  I  recollect  correctly.) 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  9 

Then  they  formed  squads  and  companies  of  all  cliaracters  to 
probe  the  country,  to  take  up  conscripts  and  deserters,  (but  I 
think  they  taken  up  but  few  deserters)  and  driven  them  at  the 
point  of  bayonet  to  the  slaughter  pen  of  whole  sale  murder, 
and  left  their  wives  and  children  in  tears  and  poverty.  But  no 
exemption  for  the  man  that  had  a  wife  and  ten  children.  That 
act  of  itself,  had  the  greatest  tendency  to  damp  the  feelings 
and  dishearten  the  rebel  army  more  than  all  other  acts  put  to- 
gether, to  think  that  they  were  taken  from  their  families  and 
homes  to  fight  for  the  property  of  those  exempted  men  for 
eleven  dollars  per  month,  that  would  not  buy  but  one  bushel 
meal  for  his  family,  and  those  men  at  home  repudiating  the 
currency  and  speculating  on  the  misfortunes  of  the  war,  and 
those  exempted  clergy-men  almost  all  of  them  advising  and 
recommending  the  prosecution  of  the  war,  and  said  there  will 
be  no  danger  of  women  and  children  suffering  so  long  as  God 
is  good  and  merciful  to  all,  and  so  long  as  preachers  do  their 
part,  for  the  Lord  has  commanded  them  to  feed  the  hungry 
and  clothe  the  naked,  and  to  be  a  father  to  the  fatherless  and 
a  husband  to  the  widow.  But  they  take  a  shorter  route,  they  set 
themselves  in  Moses  seat,  and  made  themselves  the  counsellors 
of  the  Lord,  and  they,  in  their  long  sanctimonious  prayers  bid 
God  to  feed  the  hungry  and  clothe  the  naked,  (and  excuse 
themselves.) 


The  Capitulation  of  Nashville  and  Jackson. 


A  short  time  before  Nashville  and  Jackson  was  taken  by 
the  Federal  forces,  the  refugees  or  fugitives  commenced  pouring 
into  Marietta  and  Atlanta  by  hundreds  and  thousands  from 
Tennessee,  Alabama,  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  with  horses,  mules, 
and  some  of  them  with  the  rise  of  a  hundred  slaves — Bread  stuffs 
at  that  time  was  plenty,  but  residing  here  between  one  and  two 
years  and  no  person  to  till  the  ground,  bread  stuff's  become  very 
scarce — every  hotel  was  crowded  and  every  private  house  was 
full,  and  we  was  threatened  with  a  famine  amongst  the  poorer 


10  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

class— Inil,  in  the  lapse  of  time,  i)rol)ably  in  March,  18Gi,  we 
began  to  hear  Sherman's  cannon  roaring  at  Resaca — at  that 
time,  those  unthankful  guests  began  to  dodge  and  run  around 
to  get  transportation  like  rats  in  a  barn  and  it  on  fire,  until 
they  all  left,  and  the  refugees  and  fugitives  in  Atlanta  and 
Marietta,  they  struck  for  safety  to  South  Carolina  and  Middle 
and  Eastern  Georgia,  together  with  the  citizens  of  Cobb,  who 
had  property,  packed  up  their  goods  in  wagons  and  carts  and 
taken  their  furniture  and  provisions  with  their  negroes,  etc., 
and  left  Cobb  like  Lot  left  Sodom,  nothing  but  tracks  behind 
them  and  left  the  poor  and  destitute  nothing  to  support  them- 
selves upon,  for  they  stayed  in  and  around  Marietta  until  they 
had  cleaned  the  country  as  clean  as  the  mystical  locust  did 
Egypt — and  Sherman  closely  pursuing  Johnson  to  Kennesaw, 
at  which  time,  Johnson  about  the  first  of  June,  1864,  planted 
his  standard  and  fortified  the  place — Sherman  in  close  pursuit, 
and  fought  on  and  around  that  Mountain  until  the  2uJ  July, 
at  which  time,  Sherman  with  his  reinforcements  was  surround- 
ing the  Mountain ;  but  if  those  twenty  or  twenty-five  thousand 
refugees  that  eat  out  Marietta  and  Atlanta  had  been  of  the 
proper  grit  and  fallen  in  on  Johnson's  right  or  left  wing,  Sher- 
man could  never  have  flanked  Johnson  out  of  his  position,  but 
he  would  have  licked  up  Sherman's  army  like  salt  before  break- 
fast. 

Marietta  was  evacuated  by  the  rebel  army  on  the  2nd  July, 

1864,  and  on  Sunday  morning  the  Slst  July  1864,  Sherman's 
army  marched  into  the  city,  and  part  of  his  army  pursued 
Johnson's  army,  and  I  think  fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  was 
J  eft  in  Marietta,  and  they  built  two  forts  and  had  them  strongly 
fortified.  At  that  time,  the  poor  was  in  a  distressed  situation, 
but  under  circumstances  I  can  say,  notwithstanding,  they 
gleaned  the  country  of  the  growing  crops  of  those  who  had  left 
their  houses  and  absconded;  but  I  am  bound  to  do  them  jus- 
tice, they  extended  the  hand  of  mercy  to  the  poor  and  dis- 
tressed. 

On  the  13th  November,  Sherman's  guards  was  called  to 
leave  Marietta  and  March  to  Atlanta,  and  his  rear  guards  had 
not  got  one  mile  before   the  deserters  and  out  lyers  of  the  so 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  11 

called  rebel  army  filled  the  streets  of  Marietta  as  thick  as  })lack 
birds  on  a  rice  stack,  and  taking  from  white  and  Idack,  and  in 
a  few  days  there  was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Patillo,  who  ap- 
pointed himself  as  Captain  of  a  company,  he  called  home 
guards  and  then  organized  his  company  and  entered  on  the  dis- 
charge of  his  official  duty.  He  first  made  Cole's  large  hotel  in 
Marietta,  headquarters — he  then  sent  out  his  veteran  troops  in 
squads  and  gave  them  orders  to  go  around  and  bring  into  head- 
quarters all  the  fine  furniture  they  could  find  and  all  the  raw 
hides ;  they  were  all  stout  robust  fellows,  and  did  not  need  a 
dray,  for  each  man  could  pack  as  much  as  a  camel — they  soon 
filled  the  hotel.  He,  at  that  time  lived  a  mile  from  head-quar- 
ters, then  would  go  home  at  night,  get  his  supper  and  hold 
prayer,  (as  a  Methodist  would,)  then  taking  his  wagon,  went 
back  and  hauled  away  the  plunder  they  had  captured  that  day. 
The  next  day,  would  send  it  off  to  the  country  for  safe  keeping 
until  he  got  all  out  of  the  house,  then  took  fire  and  liurnt 
down ;  he  then  said,  the  Yankees  burnt  it,  and  the  Yankees 
had  left  Marietta  a  month  or  more  before  that  time.  At  that 
time,  there  came  a  man,  he  said,  from  Alabama,  by  the  name 
of  Col.  Mitchel,  and  took  command  of  the  post — he  soon  put 
things  to  order. 


General  Ordets. 


He  sent  out  some  baggage  with  a  platoon  of  brave,  intrepid 
soldiers,  to  go  into  Milton  and  Forsyth  counties  and  probe 
them,  as  there  were  no  provisions  in  Marietta,  and  go  where  the 
raids  had  not  been,  and  take  corn,  baconor  anything  they  could 
find.  They  struck  out  to  these  counties  to  Crow's,  Harrie's, 
Wm,  Hoods  and  squire  Sam  Orr's  and  divers  other  places,  and 
loaded  their  wagons,  and  to  take  a  near  cut  home  they  came 
around  and  bartered  corn  for  a  barrel  of  whisky,  and  when 
they  returned,  there  was  a  rejoicing  over  it,  as  there  was  over 
the  Prodigal's  return,  and  they  were  so  much  over-joyed  at  the 
success,  that  he  took  his  trusty  men  with  Mattox  and  went  to 


12  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

John  Winter's  nursery  of  apples,  pears,  cherries,  etc.,  and  dug 
up  some  thousand  or  two  and  took  a  baggage  wagon  and  sent 
them  to  his  plantation  in  Alabama.  About  that  time,  the 
United  States  sent  Capt.  Grooseback,  with  the  29th  regiment 
of  Indiana  troops  and  planted  his  standard  in  Marietta,  at 
which  time  Col.  Mitchel  and  Capt.  Patillo  fled,'and  their  brave 
home  guards  scattered  and  disorganized,  and  was  no  more. 

Capt.  Grooseback,  commander  of  the  post  in  Marietta,  of 
the  29th  Regiment,  of  Indiana.  First,  he  had  rations  sent 
there  to  divide  out  to  him, to  distribute  out  amongst  the  poor  and 
destitute.  Second,  the  United  States  had  lost  a  great  many 
horses  and  mules  all  branded  with  the  letters  U.  S. — He  then 
sent  his  soldiers  into  the  country  to  gather  up  those  mules  and 
horses,  and  they,  in  a  short  time  brought  into  Marietta  a  many 
a  one.  They  was  then  ordered  to  bring  those  men  who  they 
found  the  mules  and  horses  in  possession  of. — When  them  or- 
ders came  out,  there  was  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth  amongst 
those  who  had  mules  branded  with  U.  S. — Some  tried  to  erase 
the  brand,  and  when  they  found  they  could  not  do  it  they  left 
Cobb  and  fled  to  the  mountains  and  lay  there  some  two  or  three 
months  to  wit.  May  and  June,  until  the  seedticks  and  red  bugs 
had  come  very  near  eating  them  up.  But,  thank  God  for  the 
war,  it  has  saved  Marietta  from  being  burnt  like  Sodom.  The 
sin  of  Sodom  was  pride,  fullness  of  bread  and  abundance  of 
idleness  was  in  her,  and  she  strengthened  not  the  poor,  nor  the 
needy,  therefore  I  took  them  away  as  I  was  good — and  since  the 
abolishing  of  slavery,  industry  is  increasing  and  idleness  is 
giving  way  and  the  pride  of  industry  is  on  its  way  to  wealth 
and  honor. — Cobb  county  will  make  more  cotton  this  year 
than  any  one  county  in  the  State  of  Georgia.  Many  ladies  in 
Cobb,  have  laid  aside  their  grecian-bend  and  have  put  on  the 
row  bend  and  are  making  from  one  to  two  or  three  bales  of  cot- 
ton, and  if  they  continue,  lightning  will  never  burn  Marietta 
for  the  sin  of  pride  and  idleness,  as  it  did  Sodom.  Go  into 
Cobb  county  at  this  time  and  you  will  find  men,  children  and 
ladies  busy  as  bees  in  a  hive — all  busy  except  the  drones  and 
they  are  larger  than  the  bee,  and  do  nothing  but  make  the 
young  bees,  and  when  winter  begins   to  come  on,  these   drones 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  13 

begin  to  eat  the  honey,  then  the  bees  takes  them  idle  drones 
out  and  discharge  them.  But  I  think  there  is  too  much  chari- 
ty and  sympathy  to  discharge  any  of  the  drones  in  Cobb,  and 
craftsmen  who  gets  their  living  like  Diametus  did,  by  his  craft 
making  shrines  for  the  goddess  Dianah. 


A  Judgment  for  Chairs   and  Defendant  Paying  off   the  Same. 


This  was  ajudgment  entered  up  against  a  man,  by  a  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  for  chairs,  in  Cobb  county.  The  history  of 
the  case  is,  that  a  man  by  the  name  of  Brown  had  a  note  on  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Paise  for  thirty  chairs,  and  a  credit  on 
said  note  of  18  chairs.  Brown  went  to  the  Justice  of  the  Peace 
and  left  it  with  him  for  collection.  The  Justice  issued  his 
summons,  directed  to  be  and  appear  on  a  certain  day,  time  and 
place  designated,  to  answer  the  complaint  of  Brown,  plaintiff, 
on  a  note  of  80  chairs  and  credited  18  chairs.  At  the  appear- 
ance term,  no  defense,  and  the  Justice  entered  up  a  judgment 
against  defendant  for  12  cheers  ow  a  note  for  30  cheers^  credited 
with  18  cheers  and  3  cheers  for  cost,  and  then  issued  a  fifa, 
which  followed  the  judgment  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
bailiff.  At  the  next  term,  the  bailiff"  made  his  entry  on  the 
fifa,  no  cheers  to  be  found  to  levy  on,  and  returned  it  to 
Brown,  Plaintiff.  The  Plaintiff"  then  came  to  author  with  the 
fifa  and  asked  author  to  find  the  officer — I  looked  over  the  fifa, 
and  told  him  I  did  not  think  a  rule  would  stick,  he  then  said  it 
was  the  d — d — est  fifa  he  ever  saw.  In  a  few  minutes  defend- 
ant came  to  author  and  asked  him  to  give  him  a  lift  in  that 
case  and  if  I  would,  he  would  make  me  a  large  arm  rocker  and 
bring  it  to  next  court.  I  then  told  him  to  bring  the  12  chairs 
to  the  next  court  and  I  would  keep  off  the  rule  until  that  time. 
He  came  and  did  not  bring  the  chairs — Tasked  him  the  reason, 
he  said  he  had  a  wife  and  seven  small  children,  and  no  way  to 
feed  them  only  b}'  making  chairs,  I  then  told  him  when  court  was 
open  to  come  to  the  court  house  door  and  to  do  as  I  told  him — he 


14  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

come — I  fold  him  to  step  up  on  the  steps  of  the  door  and  pull 
oil"  his  hat  and  swing  it  over  his  head  twelve  times,  and  every 
time,  to  huzzah  for  Silas  Brown.  He  then  commenced  the 
payment,  and  Brown  came  up  and  asked  me  what  Paise  was 
doing,  I  told  him  that  he  ways  paying  that  fifa  you  hold  against 
him,  (said  Brownall  right.)  He  cheered  Brown  twelve  times. 
I  told  him  wliilst  his  hand  was  in,  he  had  best  settle  the  cost 
in  the  same  wa)'',  he  stepped  back  and  hiizzahed  the  officers  of 
the  court  three  times  for  cost,  and  I  spoke  to  him  and  told 
him,  he  best  settle  my  fee  before  he  came  down — he  asked  me 
if  T  would  take  my  fee  in  the  same  way,  says  I  yes — he  then 
thrtw  his  hat  over  his  head  and  cried  out,  huzzah  for  old  Squire 
Gault — three  cheers  for  a  large  arm  rocker  for  fee — said  I,  that 
will  do — I  told  the  Bailiff  to  satisfy  the  fifa  in  full,  principal, 
cost  and  Attorney's  fees  in  full,  and  all  parties  satisfied. 


The  Dronfcard^s  Resurrection  in  His  Morning  Shroud. 


Recently,  there  was  a  young  man,  who  resided  near  Mari- 
etta, l)y  the  name  of  B.  He  was  a  very  industrious  young 
man,  l)ut  would  at  times  indulge  in  drinking  spirits  to  an  ex- 
cess. A  few  months  since,  he,  as  usual,  takes  an  over-charge, 
and  intending  to  go  to  Atlanta,  he  took  the  cars  and  directly 
found  himself  at  Alatoona  Station,  sixteen  miles  on  the  other 
end  of  the  road ;  and  find  that  he  had  not  money  enough  to 
pay  his  fare  until  morning  and  freight  back,  he  puts  off  a  foot 
to  Marietta.  Late  in  the  evening,  with  only  25  cents,  he  ar- 
rived in  Marietta.  About  one  hour  before  day-break  he  went 
to  his  brother's  who  lived  near  town,  fatigued  and  hungry.  Not 
wishing  to  interrupt  the  repose  of  his  brother's  family,  he  went 
into  the  kitchen,  and,  to  his  gratification  found  a  large  dish 
of  Snap  Beans  and  Bacon,  and  Bread  and  Buttermilk.  He  set 
in  to  satisfy  his  appetite,  and  did  so  by  day  light.  When  the 
family  arose  he  told  them  what  he  had  done.  By  being  drunk 
tiuit  night,  sleeping  none,  and  eating  a  hearty  supper,  he  found 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  15 

himself  pretty  sick   early  in  the  morning;  he  then  struck  for 
Marietta  to  get    his  morning  bitters,  and  arrived  there  just  as 
the  grocery  keepers  opened.     He  went  in  and  in  a  few  minutes 
he  drunk  a  pint  of  stump  water  wine,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
thereafter,  he  swallowed  down  a  half  pint  of  rat-tail   whiskey, 
and  then  started  for  home  to  take  a  day's    sleep.     He  had  not 
got  a  half    mile  from    town  when    he  became  so  sick  that    he 
could  not  travel,  and    slipped  into  a  thicket    on  the  road    side 
and  lay  down.     At  that  time  there    was  a  man  who  resided  in 
Lick  Skillet,  by  the  name  of  W.  of  the  Methodist  order,  who  was 
a  firm  and  sturdy  believer  in  a  brimstone  hell,  and  dealt  large- 
ly in   the  article  of   brimstone,  according    to  his  means.     On 
that  morning  I  rode  up    to    Ws.   and  saw    a  little  boy,    some 
eight  or  ten  years  old,    running  towards  the    house,   his    eyes 
rolling  in  his  head,  which  appeared  to    be  as  large  as   billiard 
balls.     W.  ran  to  him  exclaiming,  what  is  the  matter?  what  is 
the  matter? — Why,  said  the  boy,  as  I  came  from  town  I  heard 
the  birds  making  a  fuss  in  the  thicket  back  yonder,  and  I  went 
out  into  it  to  find  the  nest,  and  had   like  to  have  stepped  on  a 
dead  man.     Is  he  dead?     Said  W.     Yes  he  is,  for  his  head  was 
in  a  heap  of  blood,  and  his  brains  are  beat  out  and  lying  at  his 
mouth,  and  the  birds  were  eating  them. 

I  went  on  with  W.  and  his  son  to  the  slaughter  ground, 
and  there  lay  B.  He  was  a  very  red  headed  man,  and  had 
thrown  up  his  late  supper,  stump  water,  and  rat-tail,  which 
made  a  pile  as  large  as  a  quart  bowl,  and  the  jay  birds,  wood- 
peckers and  old  thrashers,  were  eating,  fighting  and  frolicking 
over  their  early  breakfast,  derived  from  a  late  supper.  Said 
W.  here  lies  Alcohol;  and  laying  his  hand  on  B.  said,  arise  Al- 
cohol, you  are  not  dead  and  are  not  ready  to  be  buried  yet,  for 
you  have  no  shroud  but  jay  birds  and  wood-peckers. — [W.  was 
a  man  wide  between  his  knees,  and  his  toes  on  each  foot  point- 
ed to  each  other,  and  he  had  a  very  sharp  nose;  and  if  his  face 
or  head  had  have  been  turned  half  way  round  he  would  have 
been  remarkably  full  breasted.]  B.  arose,  made  a  blow  at  W., 
but  missed  him,  W.  broke  through  the  thicket.     B.  exclaimed, 

clear  yourself  from  here  you  pigeon-toed    bowe    legged,  brissel 
noesed,  tarapan-l^acked    hypocrit,  or  I  will    shroud  you  with  a 


IG  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

convoy  of  huzzards.  W.  got  out  of  the  thicket  and  said  to  me, 
before  I  wouhl  ever  try  to  wakn  him  again  I  would  see  him 
dead;  yes,  and  let  him  lie  until  Gabriel's  horn  toots  him  up; 
yes  sir'ee  Bob,  that  I  would. 


A  Jttsticc  Commanding  the  Peace, 


Recently  there  was  a  case  tried  in  Gwiunette  county,  by  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  It  appeared,  by  evidence,  that  Defendant 
B's.  wife  was  sick  a  bed,  and  sent  to  the  Plaintiff  A's.  wife  for 
one  pound  of  butter  and  a  half  grown  chicken.  A's.  wife  sent 
the  butter  and  chicken  to  B's.  wife  according  to  her  request; 
and  in  a  short  time  thereafter,  A's.  wife  sent  a  pair  of  shoes  to 
1>.  and  requested  him  to  find  leather  and  half  sole  her  shoes, 
which  he  accordingly  done.  And  in  a  short  time  thereafter  A. 
and  B.  had  a  difficulty,  and  A.  went  to  D.  and  C  Justices  hold- 
ing jurisdiction  in  said  county,  and  prayed  process  against  B. 
for  the  pound  of  butter  and  chicken  at  the  price  of  18f  cents, 
which  the  Justices  issued  in  accordance  to  the  prayer  of  A. ; 
and  at  the  docket  term  of  said  case,  the  defendant  B.  answered 
the  charge  and  plead  a  set-off  and  a  larger  debt,  and  prayed  of 
the  Court  judgment  for  the  balance  due  him.  B's.  account 
against  A.  was  20  cents,  for  finding  leather  and  half  soleing 
A's.  wife's  shoes,  and  prayed  judgement  for  1^  cents. 

At  the  trial  term  of  said  case,  the  plaintiff  A.  proved  his 
account  by  his  own  oath  in  due  form  of  law,  and  closed.  The 
defendant  B.  then  proved  his  account  by  his  own  oath,  and  he 
closed  for  defendant.  The  plaintiff,  A.  then  spoke  to  B.  in 
Court,  and  swore  that  defendant  B.  was  a  d — d  rascal  and  a 
perjured  villian.  The  defendant  B.  swore  that  A.  was  a  damn'd 
liar  and  a  cow  thief. 

Justice  D.  in  support  of  his  office,  and  in  the  mildness  of 
a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  arose  from  his  »eat  and  exclaimed,  I 
command  the  peace,  God  damn  you  both.  The  parties  not 
obeying  the  judicial  command  of  the  Court,  the  Justice  arose  a 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  17 

second  time  and  exclaimed,  God  damn  you  if  I  cannot  keep  the 
peace  one  way  I  will  try  another,  and,  drawing  back  his  fist, 
struck  the  plaintiff  on  his  left  cheek  bone  and  broke  the  skin. 
Down  came  the  plaintiff  on  the  floor — the  Justice  gave  him 
several  kicks  on  his  head  and  side,  and  then  said,  damn  you,  T 
expect  that  the  next  time  you  are  commanded  to  keep  the  peace, 
you  will  do  it?  He  then  turned  to  the  defendant  and  said  damn 
you,  I  will  give  you  a  little  too.  He  then  took  defendant  by 
the  throat  and  choked  him  until  his  eyes  began  to  dance  like 
a  billiard  ball,  and  his  tongue  ran  out  of  his  mouth  at  least 
four  inches — and  down  came  defendant  on  the  floor.  The  Jus- 
tice gave  defendant  a  few  kicks  and  then  cried  out,  now,  God 
damn  you,  I  reckon  you  will  hereafter  learn  how  to  behave 
yourself  before  the  Judiciary,  and  learn  to  tell  the  truth,  you 
damned  rascal.  He  then  took  his  seat  and  said  to  S.,  I  have 
made  up  my  judgment — I  believe  them  both  to  be  damned 
rascals,  and  there  is  only  one  and  a  quarter  cents  difference  in 
their  accounts,  and  I  will  give  a  judgment  against  each  of 
them  for  the  cost,  and  a  dollar  in  each  judgment  for  my  time 
and  trouble  for  whipping  the  damned  rascals,  and  accordingly 
done  so.  The  money  was  made  in  a  fifa  at  the  next  term  of 
the  said  court,  and  no  appeal. 


A  Case  of  Seduction. 


Some  years  past,  there  was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Robt. 
Rodgers,  who  resided  in  Forsyth  county,  who  studied  the  root 
system  of  medicine,  and  was  a  preacher  of  the  Methodist  order 
and  stood  head  of  the  clergy.  In  a  short  time  he  was  assigned 
a  circuit  in  Middle  Georgia — he  staj'^ed  there  some  one  or  two 
years,  and  returned  to  Warsaw,  in  Forsyth  county,  and  studied 
the  Botanic  system  of  medicine.  He  then  could  cure  all  kind 
of  diseases  and  save  the  vilest  sinner.  In  a  short  time  he  was 
called  into  John  Miller's  family  as  a  Physician — the  old  lady 
being  sick,  and  when  he  had  to  get  up  of  a  night  to  administer 


18  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

medicine  to  the  old  lady,  he  missed  her  room  door  and  got  into 
Miss  Sarah's  room  and  in  about  nine  months  thereafter  she 
brought  forth  an  infant  son,  and  charged  Dr.  Robt.  Rogers  with 
being  the  father  of  said  (■liild.  I  asked  Miller  why  he  did  not 
sue  the  old  adulterer  and  make  him  pay  you  for  raising  the 
child.  He  said  he  had  went  to  all  the  lawyers  in  Forsyth  and 
none  of  them  would  undertake  the  case  without  fifty  dollars  in 
advance  and  that  he  did  not  have.  I  then  told  him  if  he  would 
give  me  half  of  the  recovery  I  would  pitch  into  him.  We  closed 
the  contract — I  then  drafted  a  writ  and  sent  it  to  the  clerk,  he 
copied  and  had  him  served  at  the  trial  term — I  was  sick  and  got 
Gen.  Hansell  to  manage  the  case — witnesses  not  being  in  at- 
tendance, he  confessed  judgment  to  defendant,  and  took  an 
appeal — I  attended  the  appeal  trial,  both  parties  announced 
ready.  We  struck  a  jury  from  the  grand  jury  panel — Hansell 
examined  the  witnesses.  Sarah  Miller  first  witness,  swore  that 
Robt.  Rogers,  defendant,  was  the  father  of  the  bastard  child 
and  she  resided  in  plaintiff's  house,  and  done  all  the  domestic 
business  of  the  house,  etc.  The  defendant's  counsel  introduced 
some  two  or  three  witnesses  to  prove  her  of  bad  character — 
amongst  the  witnesses  a  man  by  the  name  of  Devenport,  a 
Methodist  preacher — he  said  he  had  been  acquainted  with  Miss 
Sarah  Miller  ever  since  she  joined  the  Methodist  church.  Was 
you  in  that  church?  Yes — what  was  her  character  then? 
Very  good.  What  did  you  turn  her  out  for?  We  discovered 
she  was  growing  out  of  shape.  Who  did  she  charge  with  com- 
mitting that  offense  with?  Brother  Rogers,  the  defendant. 
We  close  here. 

How  many  will  argue  on  each  side?  Gault  and  Hansell 
for  plaintiff,  Lester  and  Brown  for  defense.  I  then  addressed 
the  Court  in  my  mild  and  usual  manner,  David  Irwin  presid- 
ing, to  admit  me  to  argue  the  case  in  a  plain  old  field  school 
master  style,  and  to  use  the  language  of  my  mother  tongue,  as 
I  never  had  the  benefit  of  rubbing  my  back  against  the  college 
wall,  and  wish  to  argue  this  case  dispassionately  and  without 
levity  on  my  part,  which  His  Honor  granted. 

May  it  please  the  Court  and  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  this  is 
an  action  that  John  Miller  has  brought    in  this    Court  against 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  19 

Robt.  Rogers  for  the  seduction  of  his  daughter,  Sarah  Miller. 
This  action  is  not  for  the  maintainance  of  the  child,  but  it  is 
for  the  loss  of  labor  and  services  which  he  lost  l)y  defendant 
getting  with  child — for  then  she  was  not  able  to  perform  the 
services  as  she  was  before ;  but  we  will  not  stop  here,  it  is  for 
other  wrongs  which  the  defendant  did  by  his  infamous  acts. 
He  brought  home  to  this  old  grey  headed  man,  tears  and  sor- 
row by  his  family,  and  in  violation  of  the  law  of  the  country 
and  the  law  of  God — then  I  think  you  should  bring  in  a  round 
verdict  against  this  old  adulterer.  First,  I  will  give  a  synopsis 
of  the  evidence  of  Sarah  Miller.  He  was  her  father's  family 
ph3'-sician  and  come  to  visit  her  mother,  then  sick  in  bed — he 
gave  the  old  lady  some  medicine  and  then  said  about  twelve  he 
would  get  up  and  give  her  more  medicine,  but  instead  of  going 
to  her  mother's  room  he  went  into  her  room,  in  the  dark  hours 
of  night.  Dr.  Devenport's  evidence  was — respectable  when 
she  joined  the  church  and  was  turned  out  for  adultery  or  forn- 
ication with  Dr.  Rogers.  Witness  said  he  made  that  unfortu- 
nate visit  to  her  bed  room  in  the  dark  and  silent  hours  of  mid- 
night, as  dark  as  the  crime  which  he  went  to  perpetrate — and 
do  you  not  believe  he  held  out  the  same  argument  to  her  as  his 
father  the  devil  did  to  mother  Eve  in  the  garden  of  Eden,  with 
all  the  subtility  of  the  serpent. 

Then  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  after  the  facts  was  proved  and 
the  charge  rivited  on  him,  what  did  Dr.  Rodgers  do?  He  in- 
troduced two  or  three  witnesses  to  prove  the  general  bad  char- 
acter of  Miss  Sarah  Miller,  amongst  whom  was  Dr.  Devenport, 
a  Methodist  preacher,  and  what  did  he  swear — that  Sarah  Mil- 
ler was  of  good  character  until  she  was  tried  in  the  church  and 
turned  out  under  a  charge  of  adultery  or  adultery  and  fornica- 
tion— and  when  witness  was  asked  who  was  charged  with  com- 
mitting that  offense,  he  answered,  with  Brother  Rogers,  de- 
fendant. Now  gentlemen,  I  wish  you  to  take  an  impartial 
view  of  this  case  when  you  retire  to  make  up  your  verdict. 
The  counsel  for  defendant  will  perhaps  tell  you,  that  you 
should  return  a  verdict  for  defendant,  because  she  was  turned 
out  of  the  church,  charged  with  adultery,  and  she  was  thought 
to  be  slippery.  I  then  asked  who  made  her  so,  Dr.  Rogers.  Now 


20  Joseph  Gadlt's  Reports. 

gentlemen  I  will  now  turn  to  my  old  friend  Dr.  Roht.  Rogers, 
epithets  enough  without  the  addition  of  an  adulterer.  I  now 
ask  you  what  kind  of  medicine  was  that  you  practiced  with  in 
John  Miller's  family?  And  what  kind  did  you  give  Miss  Sarah? 
Was  it  balm  of  Gilead?  And  did  you  restore  Plaintiff's  fam- 
ily to  health?  And  in  what  situation  did  you  leave  the  Plain- 
tiff's family?  I  will  try  and  tell  you,  he  left  that  which  was  as 
poisonous  as  the  Baupas  of  Javy  to  its  visitors,  certain  death — 
his  daughter  disgraced  with  a  bastard  child  in  her  arms,  and 
this  poor  old  man  in  tears  and  sorrow,  and  a  bastard  child  to 
raise  for  this  old  adulterer  and  he  75  or  80  years  old,  and  this 
old  scamp  refuses  to  do  anything  towards  supporting  that 
child.  It  is  the  duty  of  every  father  to  support  his  children, 
and  when  old,  it  is  the  child's  duty  to  provide  for  the  parent: 
but  this  Doctor  has  wholly  neglected  and  refused,  and  still 
doth  refuse  to  do  anything  whatever  towards  the  maintainance 
of  that  child,  but  has  left  it  broad  cast  in  the  world,  for  a  poor 
old  man  75  or  80  years  of  age  to  support.  Gentlemen  of  the 
jury,  in  consequence  of  the  Defendant's  conduct  towards  the 
Plaintiff  and  his  family,  he  has  appealed  to  the  country — you 
are  twelve  of  that  number  that  has  been  chosen  out  of  the  Grand 
Jury  of  Forsyth  county — you  are  to  be  the  judges  of  the  law 
and  the  facts — you  will  perhaps  be  told  by  the  learned  counsel, 
that  you  should  find  for  Defendant — you  may  do  so,  but  I  do 
not  believe  that  you  will — you  perhaps  will  be  told,  Attorney 
for  Plaintiff"  is  only  harrassing  Defendant,  because  he  is 
wealthy  and  the  Plaintiff  poor,  and  it  is  money  that  he  wants 
— that  is  true,  and  the  larger  the  verdict  the  more  favorable  to 
her  character.  Give  a  small  verdict  for  Plaintiff"  and  make 
her  case  worse — but  give  us  a  round  verdict  against  the  De- 
fendant and  you  will  partially  wipe  off  that  stain  that  now 
rests  upon  her — for  if  woman  once  chance  to  swerve  from  the 
strictest  rules  of  virtue,  ruin  ensues,  reproach  and  endless 
shame,  and  one  false  step  forever  blasts  her  fame.  She  sets 
like  stars  that  fall  to  rise  no  more — therefore,  you  should,  in 
your  verdict  not  divide  hundreds  nor  thousands,  and  not  to 
strike  at  the  buttons  on  his  old  coat,  but  strike  at  his  purse, 
and  that  a  round  sum,  and  that  will    make  him    sweat   freer 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  21 

than  he  does  now,  and  the  sweat  is  now  standing  on  his  face 
as  large  as  cow  peas,  and  I  will  give  you  several  reasons  why 
you  should  find  a  heavy  verdict  against  him.  First,  he  dis- 
graced the  church  to  which  he  belonged — secondly,  he  would  do 
nothing  for  the  support  of  his  child— thirdly,  he  slipped  into 
Miss  Miller's  bed  room  in  the  dark  hour  of  the  night  with  his 
Bible  in  one  hand  and  Botanic  medicine  in  the  other — fourthly, 
he  then  tried  to  prove  in  court,  her  bad  character,  but  failed 
to  do  so. 

Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  I  say  to  you  again,  you  should  find 
a  round  verdict  against  this  old  adulterer.  You  were  taken 
from  the  panel  of  the  Grand  Jury  of  Forsyth  county,  and 
many  of  you  from  appearance  is  blooming  for  the  grave,  and 
perhaps  some  of  you  have  little  daughters  playing  around  your 
knees  that  you  like  as  much  as  John  Miller  did  his  daughter, 
Sarah — therefore  you  should  find  a  heavy  verdict  against  him, 
and  not  divide  tens,  hundreds  nor  thousands. — If  you  do  not 
find  such  a  verdict,  those  circuit  riders  and  root  doctors,  will 
say,  I  want  to  go  to  Forsyth  county  to  preach  and  practice  on 
the  root  system,  for  adultery  and  fornication  is  no  crime  in 
Forsyth  county,  for  old  John  Miller  sued  Bro.  Robt.  Rogers 
for  seduction  and  old  Miller  proved  the  fact  by  Brother  Deven- 
port  and  by  G — d  the  jury  returned  a  verdict  against  old  Mil- 
ler for  the  cost. 

Gentlemen,  perhaps  you  recollect  reading  the  Revelations 
of  John  while  in  the  Isle  of  Patmos,  when  the  locusts  infested 
Egypt  under  the  command  of  Mohomet,  that  he  saw  there  in  a 
vision — and  the  sound  of  their  wings  was  as  the  sound  of  many 
horses  and  chariots  running  to  battle,  and  they  had  stings  in 
their  tails,  and  their  authority  was  to  hurt  no  green  grass  or 
green  tree,  nor  no  cattle,  only  those  they  killed  to  eat,  which 
proves  them  to  have  been  mystical  locusts,  and  their  authority 
was  to  torment  men  five  months,  and  to  kill  those  who  had  not 
the  mark  of  the  beast  in  the  forehead  or  in  the  hand.  And  if 
you  do  not  return  a  round  verdict  against  this  old  adulterer, 
every  circuit  rider  and  root  doctor  will  come  to  your  county  to 
preach  and  practice  as  root  doctors,  and  the  sound  of  their  feet 
will  be  as  the  sound  of   many  horses  and    buggies  running  in 


22  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

Forsyth  to  cjinip  moeting — and  they  also  have  stings  in  their 
tails,  and  with  tliem  they  will  hurt,  and  there  uchas  or  man- 
date will  be  to  hurt  no  green  tree  nor  green  grass  and  to  kill 
no  man,  l)ut  to  kill  all  your  fat  pigs,  turkeys  and  chickens  for 
them  to  eat  and  instead  of  tormenting  men  five  months  they 
will  torment  petticoats  nine  months.  And  now  gentlemen  I 
will  come  to  a  close  and  leave  the  case  wdth  you,  laying  all 
levity  aside,  if  you  think  any  has  been  made  use  of  in  the  dis- 
cussion of  this  case.  I  again  say,  that  a  man  that  has  taken 
the  field  as  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel  and  then  palm  himself  off 
on  the  community  as  a  Ph3'sician  and  practice  in  a  respectable 
family  as  that  old  adulterer  disgraced — gentlemen  could  the 
gold  of  Ophir  make  restitution  for  such  slander  and  abuse  in 
your  family — answer  no;  then  gentlemen,  give  this  old  grey 
hoaded  man  what  we  would  give  to  you,  and  by  thus  doing,  you 
will  put  laurels  on  your  heads  and  a  wreath  on  your  county, 
and  a  shield  and  garland  of  protection  around  your  little 
daughters  that  guard  them  safely  from  the  lust  of  those  mid- 
night assassins,  who  are  going  over  the  country  with  a  form  of 
godliness,  but  den}^  the  power  thereof.  It  would  save  your 
family  from  disgrace  and  sorrow  that  that  old  preachor  and  root 
doctor  has  brought  on  John  Miller  and  family.  And  as  I  say 
to  you  again  it  is  your  duty  to  return  a  round  verdict  against 
this  old  root  doctor;  first,  he  was  a  Methodist  preacher  and 
disgraced  that  body  of  christians;  secondly  he  was  her  father's 
family  physician;  thirdly,  he  got  Miss  Sarah  to  join  the 
church  and  fourthly  seduced  her  and  then  attempted  to  prove 
her  of  bad  character  which  he  failed  to  do,  as  John  Miller's  or 
any  other  family  I  care  not  whose,  should  be  dealt  with  in  a 
manner  becoming  the  duty  of  a  Grand  Jury  of  the  county  in 
order  to  protect  the  morals  of  the  country,  and  when  you  gen- 
tlemen, return  your  verdict  I  think  it  will  make  that  old  hypo- 
critical adulterer  feel  the  elfects  of  his  conduct  and  In'ing  tears 
from  him  and  make  him  cry  like  a  June  bug,  and  when  the 
rising  generation  looks  over  the  records  of  this  and  finds  your 
verdict  in  this,  let  it  be  such  that  will  scent  like  a  rose  when 
you  are  dead. 

We  the  jury  find  for  Plaintilf    four  hundred   dollars  with 
cost  of  suit. 

R.  McDonald,  Foreman. 


Faith^  Hope  and  Charity. 


Some  few  years  past  there  was  a  great  protracted  meeting 
lield  in  the  exterior  part  of  Georgia,  about  which  time  the 
Treasury  of  the  Lord  was  getting  empty,  alias  the  pockets  of  tlie 
clet'gy;  and  on  that  occasion  there  popped  up  on  Sunday  morn= 
ing  an  old  disciple,  who  was  well  skilled  in  the  art  of  begging. 
He  arose  and  opened  his  battery,  and  after  making  some  pre- 
liminary remarks,  said  that  he  would  confine  himself  princi- 
pally to  that  part  of  sacred  writ,  to  wit:  Faith,  Hope  and 
Charity  ;  but  Charity  the  greatest  of  the  three ;  and  a  person 
might  have  Faith,  and  Hope,  but  without  Charity  it  would 
avail  them  nothing;  and  my  dear  beloved  friends  here  is  many 
beloved  brothers  who  have  left  their  homes,  fathers  and  moth- 
ers, sisters  and  brothers,  wives  and  children,  and  traveling- 
through  heat  and  cold,  wet  or  dry,  sleet  and  snow,  hurricanes 
and  storms  to  save  the  wicked  men  from  an  eternal  hell ;  and 
many  of  those  beloved  angels  have  not  25  cents  in  their  pock- 
ets; they  must  be  clothed,  and  they  must  be  fed;  and  then  said^ 
before  he  come  down  to  make  a  collection  he  would  tell  them 
an  anecdote.  There  lived  in  my  settlement  a  God  loving  and 
a  God  fearing  minister  of  my  Gospel ;  and  in  the  adjoining  set- 
tlement there  lived  a  poor  old  beggar,  and  one  morning  the 
old  beggar  was  passing  by  the  house  of  that  God  loving  and 
fearing  minister's  house,  and  he  called  the  old  beggar  to  come 
to  his  house — the  beggar  come  in  and  the  God  loving  minister 
took  the  beggar  to  his  meat  house  and  cut  down  a  ham  of  meat 
that  weighed  twenty-five  pounds,  16  ounces  to  the  pound — the 
beggar  started  off  with  the  ham,  and  the  God  loving  minister 
called  him  back  and  said  the  devil  had  tempted  him,  that  he 
had  given  him  too  much  meat ;  the  old  begger  was  fearful  that 
he  was  going  to  take  it  from  him,  and  the  God  fearing  minister 
said  he  would  disappoint  the  devil  and  cut  down  the  other  ham 
and  gave  it  to    the  old  beggar — and  he   went   off  with  the  two 


24  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

weigliing  50  pounds  on  three  legs  (two  was  the  age  of  his  in- 
firmity and  the  other  was  astatl",)  leaping  and  praising  God, 
tliat  religion  was  not  extinct  on  the  earth.  Now  brethren, 
when  1  come  down  to  make  a  collection,  you  who  is  attempted 
to  give  25  cents  give  50  cents,  and  you  that  have  been  tempted 
to  give  50  cents,  give  $1,  and  you  that  is  tempted  to  give  $5, 
and  so  on,  and  thus  doing,  you  will  throw  death  and  destruc- 
tion into  the  worn  dominion  of  the  devil's  camp  and  curtail 
his  power,  (there  was  an  old  lady  sitting  there,)  yes,  glory  to 
God  I  say,  cut  it  short  so  that  he  cannot  sweep  the  angels  out 
of  heaven  any  more,  and  let  him  be  a  stump  tail  devil  all  his 
life;  and  her  under  jaw  come  up  like  an  old  weather  beaten 
flat  brick. 


The    Inquisition, 


Inquisition  is  a  court  established  in  some 'countries  for  the 
destruction  of  heresy,  as  in  France,  Spain,  Portugal  and  Ger- 
many, which  was  established  by  the  ecclesiatic  order  of  the  gov- 
ernment; they  charged  all  people  with  the  crime  of  heresy 
who  did  not  believe  in  their  creeds  and  manner  of  worship, 
they  put  them  to  death  in  divers  ways,  that  inflicted  the  most 
excruciating  pain — by  the  rack,  the  stake,  the  gibbet  and  the 
guillotine,  which  leads  us  to  inquire  what  order  of  the  clergy 
enforced  the  inquisition.  Many  say  it  was  the  Catholics — for 
my  part,  I  differ  from  thc.se  that  think  so.  The  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church  is  the  oldest  church  known,  and  all  other  churches 
or  orders  of  Christians  took  their  church  ordinances  from  the 
Church  of  Rome  ;  and  we  know  whenever  one  order  of  churches 
gets  the  ascendancy,  and  a  majority,  and  established  by  the 
laws  of  the  country,  they  become  monarchal  and  despotic,  and 
would  crush  all  other  orders.  We  discover  that  principal,  in 
John  Calvin,  who  burnt  Servetus  with  green  wood,  to  make  his 
suffering  as  long  and  painful  as  possible.  Look  at  our  own 
country,  America ;  that  the  protestants  who  were  learnt  perse- 
cution in  Europe,  as  soon  as  they  landed  in  Massachusetts  they 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  25 

commenced  persecuting  and  prosecuting  the  most  innocent  and 
best  people  in  America,  called  Quakers,  and  commenced  hang- 
ing them  ;  the  Catholics  slipped  in  and  stopped  the  blood  shed- 
ding; so  we  discover  in  all  ages,  a  man  that  is  clothed  with 
power  unmerited,  he  grows  in  cruelty  and  despotism  ;  therefore 
we  see  that  Inqisition  is  confined  to  none,  but  to  designing 
tyrants  and  despots ;  and  a  Republican  Government  is  poison- 
ous to  Priest-craft  and  tyrants,  as  the  Boanepus  is  to  its  visi- 
tors ;  they  bind  heavy  burdens  and  lay  them  on  others  should- 
ers, which  they  themselves  do  not  touch  with  one  of  their  fin- 
gers. Kind  reader,  if  you  desire  to  live  under  a  Republic,  when 
you  go  to  the  ballot  box,  vote  for  no  man  who  falls  out  with 
you  for  a  dissent  of  opinion,  and  put  not  the  reins  of  Govern- 
ment in  the  hands  of  no  sectarian  body;  if  you  do,  in  less 
than  fifty  years  they  will  sap  the  tree  of  liberty,  planted  by 
Washington,  watered  with  the  blood  of  his  compatriot  heroes, 
who  fought  to  establish  the  same — and  they  will  shed  crocodile 
tears  upon  its  roots  and  will  consume  like  drops  of  fire,  until . 
it  is  prostrated  on  the  plains  of  ruin  of  tyranny,  unless  the  Re- 
publicans of  Georgia  watches  our  liberty  tree,  and  guard 
against  corruption  and  tyrants ;  and  let  us  try  and  muster  the 
bands  of  Popes,  priests  and  kings  and  march  them  to  the  land 
of  oblivion,  where  I  wish  them  a  long  and  peaceful  repose  in 
the  bosom  of  nonentities  ; 

Then  peace  on  earth  will  hold  her  easy  sway. 
And  man  forget  his  brother  man  to  slay. 


The  Three  Measures  of  Meal. 


This  is  one  of  the  anecdotes  that  I  pivjinised  to  the  reader 
ill  the  preface  of  this  most  useful  work. 

Recently  a  man  by  the  name  of  Jacol)  Frize  came  from  one 
of  the  Northren  States  to  the  state  of  South  Carolina,  a  preacher 
of  universal  salvation.  I  heard  him  preach  on  Saturday,  and 
on  the  next  day,  he  was  to  preach  at  the  same  place.  I  was  at 
that  time  boarding  in  the  house  of  a  very  good  old  lady,  a 
sturdy  believer  in  a  brimstone  hell,  and  advocated  the  doctrine 
strong;  after  some  persuation,  I  got  her  consent  to  go  and  hear 
Frize  preach ;  when  we  got  there,  the  house  was  crowded ;  1  at 
length  procured  a  seat  for  my  old  friend.  Mr.  Frize  commenc- 
ed, taking  his  text  as  follows: — "The  wheat  shall  be  gathered 
into  the  garner,  but  the  chaff  shall  be  burnt  with  unquencha- 
l)le  fire."  He  showed  what  the  wheat  was  and  what  the  chaff 
was,  and  showed  the  general  restitution  of  every  son  and 
daughter  of  all  mankind ;  he  likened  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to 
a  woman  that  lost  a  piece  of  silver,  and  swept  until  she  found 
it;  also  to  the  mustard  seed,  that  was  sown,  and  it  came  up 
and  grew  to  be  a  great  tree,  so  that  the  fowls  lodged  in  the 
branches  thereof;  also,  in  trying  to  show  his  hearers  the  doc- 
trine of  universal  salvation,  he  quoted  that  part  of  the  sacred 
writ,  "That  the  kingdom  of  heaven  was  like  unto  a  woman 
that  put  leven  into  three  measures  of  meal,  until  the  whole 
lump  was  levened."  As  soon  as  meeting  was  over,  I  felt  anx- 
ious to  know  how  my  old  friend  liked  the  sermon ;  and  so  soon 
as  I  got  the  opportunity,  I  asked  her.  The  old  lady  turned  her 
head  to  me,  and  with  a  sarcastic  smile,  said:  Like!  like,  I 
think  you  say;  like  who  ? — in  the  name  of  God,  did  you  ever 
hear  the  like.  What,  said  I,  is  the  matter?  Mattel !  do  you 
not  know  what  is  the  matter;  I  never  heard  so  many  lies  in  all 
my  life,  said  the  old  lady.  What  said  I,  did  he  say  ?  He  said 
that  a  woman  was  put  into  three  bushels  of  meal,  and  then 
come  out  e-leven  wimen,  and  I  know  he  told  a  lie,  for  wimen  is 
not  made  in  that  way,  nor  never  was,  said  the  old  lady,  at  the 
same  time  knocking  her  fists  together,  and  brawled  out ;  I  want 
to  hear  no  more  of  him. 


A  Preacher  Collecting  Money* 


There  was  a  man  who  resided  in  the  16th,  district  of  Cobb 
county,  ])y  tlie  name  of  Fowler,  who  was  a  preacher  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Baptist  order.  He  was  one  day  at  Marietta,  and  our 
friend,  Billy  Green,  (not  Dandy  Billy  of  the  20th,  district,  but 
Town  Billy,  alias  snorting  Billy,)  was  there;  and  also  a  man 
by  the  name  of  John  McLain  was  there.  Previous  to  that 
time  Billy  had  ca  sa'd  McLain  and  had  the  cost  to  pay,  and 
he  was  lying  in  his  complaints  to  his  brother  Fowler,  that  Mc- 
Lain was  due  him,  on  tifas,  some  sixty  dollars,  and  that  he 
could  not  get  one  cent  out  of  him.  Brother  Fowder  said  to  his 
Brother  Green,  to  hand  him  the  papers,  and  he  could  get  his 
money,  for  he  just  now  saw  McLain  with  a  roll  of  money  as 
thick  as  his  wrist.  Brother  Green  handed  his  demands  to 
brother  Fowler,  and  said  that  he  would  give  brother  Fowder  five 
dollars  if  he  would  secure  his  demands  against  McLain.  He 
swore  he  would  do  so  or  whip  him,  and  started  across  the  Square 
to  McLain.  Fowler  w^as  one  of  those  tall,  long  girted  men, 
and  had  on  a  long  skirted,  homespun  cotton  coat,  with  very 
large  pockets  ;  he  had  in  one  pocket  his  family  Bible,  and  a 
large  wine  bottle  full  of  corn  whiskey  in  the  other.  Green  and 
several  others  followed  on  to  see  McLain  fork  over  the  money 
to  Fowler;  but  on  the  demand  McLain  refused  to  pay  it.  Fow^- 
ler  swore  if  he  did  not  fork  over  the  money  in  two  minutes  that 
he  would  whip  him.  McLain  said  whip  and  be  d — d,  and  at 
the  same  instant  McLain  struck  brother  Fowler  on  the  side  of 
his  head  with  a  short  stick  he  held  in  his  hand;  down  came 
Fowler  on  the  ground,  McLain  covered  him.  Brother  Green 
cries  out  hurrah !  hurrah !  brother  Fowler,  by  the  life  I  fear 
you  will  never  be  able  to  get  my  money  if  you  do  not  fight 
faster. — By  this  time  there  were  several  other  brethren  present, 
to-wit:  one  Hartwell  Jones,  John  Rainy,  and  others,  who 
cried  out,  part  them  1  part  them !  and  jumped  in  and  parted 
the  combatants.     In  the    scuffle  brother   Fowder  got  his   long 


28  JosEJ'ii  Gault's  Reports. 

homespun  cotton  coat  split  from  the  waist  to  the  coller,  and 
his  pockets,  being  very  heavily  charged,  the  skirts  fell  round 
before  him.  He  went  to  a  well  in  the  public  square  and  wash- 
ed, accompanied  by  brother  Jones,  Raney  and  many  more. — 
Brother  Fowler  said  to  his  brethren,  let  us  take  a  little  of  the 
over- joyful:  and  thrusting  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  pulled  out 
his  Bible,  when  he  exclaimed:  Oh!  oh!  that  is  my  Bible. 
Running  his  hand  into  the  other  pocket  he  pulled  out  a  large 
wine  bottle  of  corn  whiskey,  then  cried  out,  here  is  the  article, 
and  turned  it  up  to  his  mouth,  and  it  went  good,  good,  good, 
three  times,  and  he  set  it  down.  Come  up  brothers  and  take  a 
little  of  the  over-joyful ;  come  brother  Jones,  you  and  brother 
Raney  and  all  of  you,  and  take  some.  At  that  time  I  was 
standing  by  David  Dobbs,  some  ten  paces  olf ,  and  brother 
Fowler  said  come  up  brother  Dobbs  and  take  a  little.  Dobbs 
thanked  him,  and  said  he  hoped  he  was  not  a  brother  of  his, 
for  1  am  in  the  Baptist  Church.  So  am  I,  and  a  preacher  of 
that  order,  said  Fowler.  I  am  sorry  of  that,  said  Dobbs. 
About  this  time  Green  cut  the  coloquy  short  by  saying,  well 
brother  Fowler,  you  did  not  get  my  money.  No,  said  Fowler, 
but  if  they  had  not  parted  us  I  would  have  whipped  his  soul- 
case  out  or  made  him  fork  it  over.  Fork  over  the  devil,  said 
Green,  you  will  never  get  that  money  by  whipping  McLain. 
Fowler  ran  away,  and  he  was  the  last  collector  in  Cobb  of  that 
order. 


Case  of  Slander. 


This  was  an  action  brought  before  the  Justice  of  the  Peace 
for  slander,  the  circumstances  of  which  were  as  follows : — 
There  was  a  night  meeting  in  the  vicinity  of  the  author's  resi- 
dence, near  which  an  old  man  resided  by  the  name  of  Cane, 
a  very  honest,  industrious,  good  citizen,  but  who  would  take 
his  "little  sprees"  of  drinking  some  times.  On  the  same  even- 
ing of  the  meeting,  the  old  man  got  about  "three  sheets  in  the 
wind,"  and  solicited  the  author  to  go  with  him  to  the  meeting, 
which  he  done.  They  arrived  there  just  as  services  commenced, 
an  old  preacher  by  the  name  of  Abel  preaching. — About  this 
time  there  was  a  great  revival  of  religion,  and  the  preacher 
selected  for  his  text,  "Where  is  thy  brother,  Abel?"  He  went 
on,  in  his  sermon,  to  show  that  Cain  was  the  first  murderer, 
because  he  slew  his  brother  Abel.  He  preached  a  very  affect- 
ing sermon,  and  invited  all  that  wanted  to  go  to  heaven  to 
come  up  and  kneel  down,  and  he  would  pray  for  them;  they 
all  went  up  but  the  author  and  Cane.  The  preacher  then 
bawled  out  in  the  course  of  his  prayer ;  Cain  where  will  you 
be  in  the  day  of  judgment,  when  the  Lord  shall  say  to  you, 
where  is  thy  brother?  Cane  here  spoke  to  the  author  and  said  : 
D — m  my  wig,  if  I  don't  believe  I  will  go  up  and  be  prayed 
for.  Go  on,  Cane,  replied  the  author.  He  went  up,  and  Abel 
took  hold  of  his  hand  and  laughed,  Cane  cried;  and  after 
laughing  and  crying  awhile,  Abel  told  Cane  to  knuckle  down 
and  he  would  try  to  supplicate  'a  throne  of  grace'  for  him,  and 
commenced  lamenting  in  his  behalf  :  'Grate  Almighty  God,' 
said  he,  'here  is  an  oald  idoliter,  who  has  come  and  prostituted 
himself  at  the  foot  of  thy  umble  servant,  to  git  him  to  suppli- 
cate a  throne  of  grace  for  him ;  grate  God,  thou  knowest  he  is 
an  old  idoliter,  thou  knowest  he  is  an  oald  fornicater,  thou 
also  knowest  that  he  is  an  oald  drunkard,  and  grate  God, 
which  is  the  worst  of  all,  thou  knowest  that  he  is  an  oald  lyre; 


30  Joseph  Gault's  Reports, 

wilt  thou  be  pleased,  iustid  of  puttiug  burnt  whiskey  in  his 
mouth,  to  put  prayers — instid  of  putting  falsehood  upon  his 
tongue  put  truth,  and  lit  him  lisp  truth  until  the  day  of  his 
deth — take  his  feet  out  of  the  mire  and  clay,  and  sit  them  upon 
a  rock  of  eternal  ages,  and  put  a  new  song  in  his  mouth,  such 
as  praises  to  the  tryin  and  livin  God — Amen.'  After  praying 
and  singing  awhile  the  meeting  adjourned. 

As  Cane  stepped  out  of  the  door,  the  author  asked  him 
how  he  liked  the  prayer.  Durne  my  wig,  if  I  like  it  a'tall, 
said  Cane.  The  author  then  advised  Cane  to  sue  Abel  for 
slander,  stating  that  he  had  never  heard  a  more  aggravated 
case  of  slander  in  all  his  life.  The  next  morning,  Cane  went 
to  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  made  his  complaint,  on  oath, 
that  Abel  had  slandered  him  the  night  before  in  a  prayer. — 
The  Justice  issued  his  warrant  in  these  words : 

Geohcia. — To  any  lawful  officer,  to  execute  and  return: 

Whereas,  affidavit  has  this  day  been  made  before  me  by 
Cane  of  said  State,  that  Abel  of  said  State  did  on  the  night 
last  past,  then  and  there,  commit  a  base  slander  upon  Cane. 
These  are  therefore  to  command  you  forthwith  to  arrest  the 
body  of  the  said  Abel,  and  liring  him  safely  before  me  and  me 
only,  that  he  may  abide  such  damages  as  may  be  so  assest 
against  him  for  such  slanderous  prayer  and  base  slander 
therein. 

Fail  not  under  the  penalty  of  the  law.  Given  under  my 
hand  and  seal.  ,  J.  P. 

The  constable,  on  the  same  day  went  and  arrested  the  body 
of  Abel,  and  safely  conveyed  him  before  the  said  Justice,  as 
directed  in  said  warrant.  Some  half  dozen  witnesses  were  sum- 
moned on  each  side.  The  case  was  called — both  parties  ans- 
wered and  sounded  themselves  ready,  and  the  trial  proceeded 
as  follows : 

The  indictment  binng  read,  the  defendant  filed  his  plea  of 
not  guilty.  Witnesses  called  and  sworn,  the  Justice  heard  and 
examined  the  testimony  on  both  sides,  and  inquired  of  the 
wealth  and  stock  that  each  of  the  parties  had.  It  appearing 
that  Cane  had  a  large  stock  of  cattle  and  Abel  a  large  stock  of 
hogs,  the  Justice  wrote  out  his  decision  as  follows: 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  31 

"It  appearing  to  the  Court,  Abel  made  the  prayer  for  Cane 
without  solicitation  on  the  part  of  Cane,  and  further  appearing 
to  the  Court  that  Abel's  prayer  amounted  to  slander ;  it  is  there- 
fore adjudged  and  ordered  by  the  Court  that  Abel  deliver  to 
Cane  one  sow  and  seven  likely  pigs,  and  also  give  bond  and 
security  in  the  penal  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars,  that  he  never 
pray  for  Cane  any  more,  with  cost  of  suit. 

,  J.  P. 

After  the  decision  was  read,  Abel  spoke  to  the  justice,  and 
said  that  it  was  not  necessary  to  bind  him  in  bond,  for  he  would 
see  Cane  in  h — 1  before  he  would  ever  pray  for  him  any  more. 
The  court  then  adjourned. 


The  Squire^s  Death  and  the  Fiddler^s  Funeral. 


In  this  chapter  I  will  give  the  reader  a  small  sketch  of  my 
travels  in  early  life.  I  have  ever  been  fond  of  good  music,  and 
believed  that  fiddlers  were  the  best  and  happiest  men  on  earth, 
always  had  the  prettiest  women  for  wives  and  the  smartest 
children,  except  Squires;  and  have  often  prayed  that  I  had  been 
a  fiddler,  or  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  for  they  and  their  families 
are  ecjual  to  that  of  a  fiddler's. 

Well,  in  the  year  1820,  I  embarked  in  that  unthankful 
I)usiness  called  Pedling,  and  in  the  month  of  May,  of  the  same 
year,  I  was  traveling  through  Lawrence  Distrct,  South  Caro- 
lina, when  my  opinion  was  explicitly  proved  to  me,  that  fid- 
dler's wives  loved  their  husbands  above  all  other  women,  par- 
ticularly if  they  are  Squires;  and  I  hope  the  history  of  this  case 
will  convince  the  reader  that  I  am  correct.  In  the  month  and 
year  above  stated,  I  was  in  the  flat,  marshy  part  of  that  dis- 
trict, where  the  sun  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  rises  clear,  and 
by  the  time  it  is  one  hour  high,  the  fog  rises  so  thick  that 
darkness  becomes  again  intense.  I  stopped  at  the  house  of  a 
Dutchman  all  night,  and  the  next  morning  about  the  rising  of 
the  sun,  I  started  on  my  journey,  but  had  not  got  more  than  a 
mile  or  two  from  the  house,  when  the  fog  became  so  thick  that 


32  Joseph  Gaui.t's  Reports. 

I  could  not  see  the  road  two  paces  ahead  of  me.  I  traveled  on 
the  best  way  I  could,  until  my  ears  were  startled  by  the  lamen- 
tations of  a  woman,  and  the  shrieks  and  cries  of  children.  I 
stopped  for  a  few  minutes  to  ascertain  in  what  direction  they 
were,  and  finding  they  were  ahead  of  me,  I  drove  on,  until  I 
came  into  an  old  field,  principally  grown  up  with  pine-sap- 
plings.  The  fog  by  this  time,  having  cleared  off  a  little,  so 
that  I  could  see  a  few  hundred  paces  ahead  of  me,  I  discovered 
a  pine  pole  cabin  on  the  side  of  the  road.  I  drove  up,  hitched 
my  horse,  and  walked  to  the  door  of  the  cabin,  and  found  that 
it  contained  the  distressed  persons.  I  opened  the  door,  and 
discovered  a  small  pale  looking  woman  sitting  on  the  sand 
some  four  feet  from  the  fire-place,  and  three  or  four  white- 
headed  children  hanging  around  her  neck,  and  crying  and  hal- 
looing as  loud  as  they  could.  Good  God !  (said  I,)  Madam! 
what  is  the  matter!  She  started,  up  at  the  sound  of  my  voice, 
flinging  the  children  here  and  there,  and  cried  out :  Matter, 
matter!  there  is  a  heap  of  matter  here,  for  the  Squire  has  just 
died,  and  there  he  lies,  pointing  her  finger  to  the  bed.  I  turned 
my  head  towards  the  bed,  and  sure  enough,  there  he  lay.  I 
then  approached  the  bedside,  and  felt  for  his  pulse  on  the  wrist 
and  temples,  but  none  could  I  find.  The  cold  sweat  of  death 
was  on  his  face,  and  his  mouth  and  eyes  widely  extended.  I 
closed  his  eyes  with  my  fingers,  and  bound  a  piece  of  cambric 
under  his  chin  and  over  his  head,  which  closed  his  mouth — 
then  turning  to  the  lady,  I  asked  her  how  long  he  had  been 
sick.  She  replied:  '"■Sick!  sick!  did  you  say,  sir — why  he 
never  had  a  minit's  sickness  since  I  first  know'd  him;  no,  sir, 
he  died  suddenly,  and  I  shall  miss  him  mightly,  for  perhaps, 
sir,  he  was  one  of  the  best  fiddlers  that  ever  touch'n  a  string," 
— here  she  stopped  and  cried  as  loud  as  she  could,  and  after 
she  ceased  crying,  related  to  me  the  following  particulars  rela- 
tive to  his  death:  "This  morning  just  after  day  had  broke, 
he  (the  Squire)  spoke  to  me  (her)  and  said,  'My  dear,  I  want 
you  to  git  up  and  git  early  breakfast,  as  I  have  to  go  about  ten 
miles  today  to  play  the  fiddle  for  a  frolick,'  and  told  me  to  be 

in  a  hurry,  and  he  would  play  for  me    my  favorite  tune ;  when 
I  was  a  gal  it  was  called  the  Ladies  Breast  Knot,  but  he  called 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  B3 

it  "Sugar  in  the  Gourd."  She  then  arose  to  her'feet,  her  tears 
ceased  flowing,  and  commenced  patting  on  the  sand  with  her 
right  foot,  while  the  fingers  of  her  left  hand  were  moving  like 
those  of  a  fiddler,  and  her  right  arm  swinging  like  that  of  a 
fiddler's  elbow.  After  getting  in  this  position  she  sung  as  fol- 
lows : 

Oh!  sugar  in  the  gourd  and  1  couldn't  get  it  out, 
I  roll'd  the  gourd  about  till  the  sugar  poured  out; 

"And  then,"  said  she,  "he  played  me  my  other  tune;  he 
called  that  'The  old  man  and  old  woman  up  in  the  loft;  and 
then  said  to  me,  'my  dear,  set  the  table,  and  I'll  play  my 
favorite  tune, 'and  so  I  commenced  setting  his  breakfast — and 
there  are  his  pancakes  on  the  table — and  he  commenced  play- 
idg  his  favorite  tune,  then  he  dropped  his  fiddle,  and,  with  the 
motion  of  a  fiddler,  commenced  singing : 

'Give  the  fiddler  a  dram,  give  the  fiddler  a  dram, 

Give  the  fiddler  a  dram,  I  say! 
Give  the  fiddler  a  dram,  give  the  fiddler  a  dram, 

And  give  it  to  him  quick  I  say ! 

When  death  struck  him  at  the  same  time,  and  there  is  his  fid- 
dle, and  here  is  his  bow.  Oh,  ruined  I  ruined  forever,"  and 
she  let  loose,  and  such  hallooing  I  uever''since  heard  from  a  wo- 
man. I  could  not  stand  it  longer,  so  I  said  to  her,  "God  be 
with  you  madam,"  and  left  her  cries  still  ringing  in  my  ears. 


Assault,  With  Intent  to  Murder. 


This  was  a  case  before  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  of  Murray 
county,  by  the  name  of  James  McGee.  On  the  return  of  the 
warrant  which  he  had  issued  against  Gen.  W.  Warcasar,  and 
nine  others — which  warrant  was  directed  to  William  McGhee, 
Sheriff  of  said  county,  and  for  him  to  summons  a  guard  of 
twenty-five  men  to  arrest  the  said  Warcasar  and  the  other  nine 
defendants,  and  l)ring  them  before  him  in  order    that  the  case 


'^4  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

should  be  investigated  fairly.  The  Sheriff,  in  obedience  to 
said  writ,  summoned  the  guard  of  twenty-five  men,  and  went  and 
arrested  the  ten  defendants  and  Ijrought  them  before  his  Honor 
Justice  McGhee.  On  the  trial  cxpartc,  he  found  them  all  guil- 
ty of  the  Riot;  and  with  tears  in  his  eyes  said :  Wake,  I  love 
you  like  a  brother — it  grieves  me  to  pass  the  sentence  of  the 
law.  Col.  Warcasar,  like  an  honorable  man,  observed,  made 
out  a  bond — I  am  ready  to  give  a  satisfactory  bond.  But,  said 
Mr.  Justice  McGhee,  that  is  not  the  mode  of  proceeding.  I 
will  make  the  sentence  as  light  as  possible,  and  shall  only  sen- 
tence you  for  two  years  imprisonment  in  the  penitentiary. 
You  be  damn'd,  says  Col.  Warcasar;  what  have  you  to  do  with 
sentencing  men  to  the  penitentiary.  I  will  show  you,  said  Mr. 
Justice  McGhee,  as  you  doubt  my  authority;  I  sentence  you, 
Mr.  Warcasar,  to  four  years  hard  labor  in  the  penitentiary, 
and  the  other  nine  to  two  years  each. — McGhee,  according  to 
sentence,  issued  his  mitimus  directing  the  Sheriff,  with  his 
guard  of  twenty-five  men,  to  take  the  aforesaid  defendants  to 
the  keeper  of  the  penitentiary,  designating  in  the  niitiinus 
that  George  W.  Warcasar  should  serve  four,  and  the  other  nine 
two  years.  The  Sheriff'  accordingly  started  with  the  ten  pris- 
oners, and  in  Oothcaloga  Valley  passed  Counselor  Stokes,  who 
was  plowing,  who  told  them  he  could  discharge  them  on  a  writ 
of  habeas  corpus.  They  requested  him  to  do  so.  He  takes  out 
his  horse,  mounts  him  bare  back,  and  follows  to  Cassville, 
which  place  they  reach  in  fine  cheer.  The  ten  devoted  convicts 
employed  Messrs  Hargrove  &  Underwood  as  counsel,  at  ten 
dollars  each,  making  the  decent  fee  of  $100,  who,  assisted 
by  Counselor  Stokes,  had  the  prisoners  released.  After  which, 
supposing  they  were  honorably  l)ound  to  pay  Stokes  something, 
handed  a  hat  round  to  make  up  a  fee,  and  each  man  very  lib- 
erally threw  in  a  dime — making  the  sum  total  of  $1  for  riding 
twenty-eight  miles  bare  back  and  pleading  a  snarly  case  I 

Judgment  of  the  Inferior  Court  of  Cass  county — Prisoners 
discharged  under  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus. 

Sheriff'  McGhee  paid  the  guards'  expenses,  &c.,  and  has 
subsequently  petitioned  the  Inferior  Court  of  Murray  county  for 
$800,  the  expenses  he  was  at;  but  the  court  refuses  to  pay  him, 
consequently  the  poor  Sheriff  has  sustained  a  net  loss  of  three 
hundred  dollars. 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 
The  Wilkinson  Frolick. 


In  traveling  throngh  old  Wilkinson  county,  when,  on  one 
Saturday  evening,  the  sun  some  hour  or  two  high,  I  met  a  stout 
looking,  young  sand  lapper,  who  spoke  to  me  very  politely  and 
informed  me  that  he  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  was 
also  a  candidate  for  the  legislature.  After  conversing  a  short 
time,  he  asked  me  where  I  lived.  I  informed  him  that  I  resid- 
ed, when  at  home,  in  Habersham  county.  Good  Lord,  sir, 
said  he,  that  is  a  long  way  from  here?  You  then  live  North 
of  the  Blue  Ridge?  That  expression  rather  attracted  my  at- 
tention— discovering  that  he  was  a  man  of  some  information. 
He  was  dressed  in  a  round  jacket,  coarse  broadcloth  coat,  a 
wool  hat,  and  a  pair  of  brogaus.  Having  some  business  with 
a  gentleman  that  lived  in  that  county,  I  enquired  of  my  new 
acquaintance  where  I  could  find  him.  He  informed  me  that  I 
had  passed  him,  and  that  he  lived  a  mile  or  two  back,  and  off 
to  the  left  of  the  road.  He  insisted  that  I  should  go  with  him 
to  a  frolick  that  night,  and  that  it  was  not  more  than  one 
mile  out  of  the  way,  and  that  he,  next  morning,  would  go  with 
me  to  the  house  of  the  man  I  wished  to  see.  Accordingly  J 
consented  and  went  back  with  my  new  friend  to  the  frolick. 
(I  must  here  remark,  that  old  Wilkinson's  is  one  of  the  great- 
est places  I  have  ever  seen  in  my  life  for  children — whether 
legitimate  or  illegitimate — and  some  of  the  women  plagued 
hard  to  head.)  At  about  sunset,  my  new  friend  and  myself 
rode  up  and  alighted  at  a  double,  pine-pole  cabin,  with  a  sand 
floor.  We  had  not  been  there  long  before  in  came  twenty 
women — each  one  of  having  a  child  in  her  arms  or  on  her  hip, 
and  all  barefooted ;  and  about  as  many  young  men.  They 
then  held  a  council  and  appointed  my  new  friend  to  the  office  of 
superintendent  of  the  frolick.  After  making  some  preliminary 
arrangements,  the  manager  turned  himself  around  on  his  heels 
and  spoke  to  a  little  dirt-eating  looking  lad,  and  said — "Bill, 
take  them  taters  out  of  the  fire  and  put  in  more,  damn  it,  the 
people  will  want  something  to  eat;  take  up  them  there  tater 
pealings  and  put  them  in  the  beer  barrel,  the  people  will  want 


36  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

beer.  Saul,  is  Wilcox  coming  to  play  the  fiddle  for  us  tonight? 
No  sir,  he  was  not  at  home.  Well  Saul,  get  your  bones,  you 
can  beat  the  Wilkinson  jig,  superior  to  any  fiddler's  music." 
The  girls,  had  each  of  them  taken  a  large  potato  and  were  eat- 
ing them ;  the  manager  then  turned  round  to  me  and  said, 
'friend  will  you  skin  a  tater  with  us?"  Yes  sir,  T  replied. 
Saul  got  his  bones,  which  were  about  six  inches  long.  Saul 
was  about  twenty-four  years  old,  and  weighed  about  seventy- 
five  pounds,  and  a  very  sickly  looking  lad.  He  walked  to  the 
back  of  a  chair,  then  said  the  manager,  "now  Bets,  I  want 
you  to  beat  John  Snelgore  dancing  the  Wilkinson  jig." 

"Here  Sal,"  said  Bets,  "hold  my  tater,  and  don't  eat  it." 
"Rot  durn  you,"   replied  Sal,  "who    wants  your  tater? — I 
don't." 

They  then  walked  out  and  Saul  commenced  with  his  tw>) 
bones  between  the  back  rounds  of  a  chair,  and  patting  the  tune 
with  his  foot,  sung  the  words  as  follows : 

"Hah,  Raccoon  foot  and  Possum  fat, 
A  wild  goose  gallop  and  a  gander  hop. 
Hah  jack  gangorea,  jack  gangorea." 

"Sixteen  sweet  hearts  to  one  poor  gal. 
Enough  to  break  the  poor  gal's  heart. 
Hah  jack  gangorea,  jack  gangorea." 

Then  said  my  friend,   "Huzza!    Bet,  you    are  lacing  it  on 

John  Snelgore,  now  Saul  go  on." 

"Wait  till  I  rest,"  said  Saul;  and  his  neck  veins  beating, 
and  swollen  as  large  as  my  finger.  But  in  a  short  time  ho  started 
his  music  again : 

"Hah,  I  never  can  go  from  home 
But  it  falls  to  my  lot  to  break  a  jaw  bone, 
The  jaw  bone  broke  the  marrow  flew. 
Up  steps  Bill  and  takes  some  too. 

Hah  jack  gangorea,  jack  gangorea." 

"Huzzah !  Bets,  by  G — d  you  can  beat  any  gal  that  ever 
the  hair  grew  on  the  head  of.  They  held  on  all  night,  and 
then  adjourned  until  the  Saturday  night  after  the  Octol)er 
election.  My  friend  wrote  to  me  afterwards  that  he  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  I)y  a  large  majority,  and  that  the  frolick 
nuide  him  many  friends. 


The  Badger  Skins — By  the  Rev.  Mr.  Figglns, 


There  was  an  old  gentleman  who  resided  in  the  county  of 
Hal)ersham,  and  belonged  to  the  Christian  church,  called 
Hardshell  Baptists,  and  was  a  preacher  of  that  order,  whose 
education  was  very  limited.  He  said  he.  could  spell  in  the 
spelling  book  by  heart  as  far  as  crucific,  and  could  spell  in  the 
book  to  cotemporary,  and  that  he  could  read  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment and  not  spell  more  than  half  the  words — he  also  said, 
that  the  Lord  had  chosen  the  weak  things  of  this  world  to  con- 
fouud  the  mighty.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Figgins  then  took  his  text  in 
the  Old  Testament,  (the  book,  chapter  and  verse  not  now 
recollected.)  "And  t-h-h  t-h-e-y  they  c-a-u-g-h  t  caught 
b-a-d-g  b-e-g-g-a-r-s  beggers  s-k-i-n-n-e-d  skinned  them  and 
c-o-v  c-o-v-e-r-e-d  themselves  with  b-a-d-g-e-r  begger  skins." 
He  then  opened  his  battery  and  threw  a  great  many  bumb 
shells  loaded  with  brimstone  into  the  devil's  camp ;  he  also 
showed  how  times  had  changed,  the  manners  and  customs 
amongst  Adam's  race.  He  said  a  few  years  ago  a  lady  of  com- 
mon size  could  cut  herself  out  a  dress  out  of  five  or  six  yards 
of  cloth,  and  the  dress  was  large  enough,  but  in  the  present 
day  it  takes  from  15  to  10  yards  to  make  a  lady  what  they  call 
a  decent  sized  dress,  and  to  all  appearances  they  have  a  bed  on 
their  back,  and  their  hips  padded  with  a  pillow  on  each  hip — 
that  i»  the  reason  of  all  this  extravagance,  and  O!  might  these 
ladies  look  back  to  the  five  yard  dress  not  forty  years  ago,  and 
0  !  may  they  look  back  to  the  time  when  the  Lord  suffered  the 
people  to  skin  beggars  and  make  clothing  out  of  their  hides. 
Oh  1  my  friends  and  brethren,  what  a  great  contrast  between 
a  feather  bed,  two  pillows  and  sixteen  yards  of  cloth,  when 
compared  to  that  of  a  beggars  skin — and  of  all  people  in  this 
world,  beggars  should  feel  the  most  thankful  to  God,  when 
beggars  were  skinned  alive  and  their  skins  made  clothing  for 
others ;  the  Lord  now  suff'ers  them  to  wear  their  hides  on  until 
they  die.     Amen. 


449645 


Women  Franchised. 


When  we  look  over  the  dark  letters  of  ages  past  and  see  the 
different  laws  and  the  different  forms  of  government  that  has 
existed  since  the  creation  of  man,  down    to  the    present  time, 
we  see  from    Republics,  Anarchies,    Monarchies,    limited   and 
unlimited,  which  amounts  to  a  Despotic  Government. — Rome 
once  a  Republic,  and    after    many    hundred   years,  she   came 
down  to  an  Anarchial  or  a   Despotic  Government,    occasioned 
by  the  corruption    of  her  rulers.     Greece,  the  seat  of   arts  and 
science,  culture  and   painting,  poets    and  philosophers,  histo- 
rians and  heroes,  who  gloried  in  her  liberties,  even  more  than 
in  giving  birth  to  such  an  off-spring — and  by  the  love  of  power 
and  usurpation  she  was  conquered  and    subjugated  by  the  tur- 
baned  Turk,  and  is  at   present,  a  nation    scattered  and  pealed, 
and  when  women  is  once  Franchised  in  America  and   entitled 
to  hold  the  reigns  of  Government  in  their  hands,  we  may  look 
out  for  a  reign  of  terror  and  blood — for  in  the  present  day  not 
one  man  in  ten  govern  our  women,  and  if  they   had  the  reigns 
of  the  general  Government  in  their  hands,  five  hundred  thous- 
and men,  such  as    Wellington  had  at  Waterloo,  could  not  sub- 
jugate the  State  of   Georgia;  their  reign    would  be  more  cruel 
than  the  reign  of  bloody  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  and  Elizabeth, 
Queen  of  England,  who  ruled    with    an    iron    rod,  and    Queen 
Cleopatra,  Queen  of  Egypt,    who    captivated    Anthony  by  her 
beauty  and  stratagem,  and  wounded    Caezar,    and    when  over- 
powered  by   superior  numbers,    rather  than    yield  to  her  ene- 
mies, she  procured  an    asper  and  put  it  in  her   sleeve,  and  the 
reptile  bit  her  and  instantly  put  an  end  to  her  existence  ;  there- 
fore, I  think  it    impolite  to    put  the  reigns  of   Government  in 
the  hands  of    women,  for  they    all    have    the  power  that  God 
guaranteed  to  them,  and  they  are  still  fighting  for  more.     Men 
rule  the  government  and  women  rule  their  husbands,  for  when 
old  mother  Eve  stuck  her  tooth  into  the  forbidden  apple,  God 
told  her  that  she  should    bring  forth  children    in    sorrow,  and 
her  desire  should  be  to  her  husband,    and  he  should  rule  her — 


JoRRPTT  Gault's  Reports.  89 

and  ever  since,  women  have  been  fighting  against  that  sen- 
tence that  God  inposed  upon  her — and  a  great  many  women 
had  as  soon  die  as  to  be  ruled  by  their  husbands,  or,  live  in 
riot  and  disgrace  until  death  ;  therefore  they  are  not  the  proper 
ones  to  rule,  yet  I  l)elieve  in  women's  rights — first,  they 
should  be  treated  with  kindness  and  respect  l)y  their  husbands 
— secondly,  she  should  have  control  over  the  cradle,  the  dairy, 
the  broom,  the  kitchen  and  dish  rag,  and  all  other  things  as 
belong  to  a  domestic  woman  and  a  good  and  agreeable  wife. 


The  Gospel. 


There  is  a  great  diversity  of  opinions  prevailing  amongst 
men  and  different  denominations  called  Christian  and  Calvan- 
ists,  who  believe  in  election  and  reprobation,  Armenians  who 
believe  iu  good  works  and  divers  other  denominations  and  all 
of  them  quarreling  about  religion,  and  when  you  come  to  sum 
them  all  up  together,  there  is  but  one  sect  called  Pharasee! — 
One  says  his  doctrine  is  the  Gospel,  another  says  his  doctrine 
is  the  Gospel,  and  they  preach  an  angry  God,  and  a  local 
fiery  brimstone  hell  in  eternity,  and  floating  over  the  country 
and  preaching  that  heart  consoling  doctrine,  they  tithe  all 
their  Proselytes,  even  the  poorest  widow  or  orphan,  and  they, 
at  that  time  getting  a  standing  salary  of  from  one  to  two 
thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  like  the  horse  leach  of  Egypt, 
crying  give,  give,  give,  and  their  sorded  avaricious  appetites 
is  never  satisfied,  and  they  have  no  sympathy  for  the  poor  and 
afflicted,  but  in  their  sanctimonious  prayers  they  set  in  Moses 
seat,  and  become  the  counselers  of  the  Lord  and  bids  him  to 
feed  the  hungry  and  clothe  the  naked  and  excuse  themselves. 
They  bind  heavy  burdens  and  lay  on  other  men's  shoulders, 
which  they  themselves  do  not  touch  with  one  of  their  fingers. 
But  if  I  understand  what  the  Gospel  is,  it  is  good  tidings  of 
great  joy  that  was  to  all  people,  kindred,  nations  and  tongues, 
and  when  the  wise  men  who  had  kept  time  of  the  prophesies  of 


40  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

the  Prophets  of  the  time  that  Christ  was   to  make  his  appear, 
ance  in  the  world,  the  wise  men  discovered  a  star  in  the   east 
and  they  followed  it  and  in  passing   some  shepherds  that    was 
lying  on  the  plains  watching  their  flocks  by  night,  and  seeing 
strange  evolutions  in  the    elements,  great   fear  fell  upon  them 
and  when  those  heralds  or  angels  returned,  they  brought  good 
tidings  of  great  joy,  -which   was  the  Gospel.     "Fear  not  shep- 
herds for  behold  we  bring  you  good  tiding   of  great  joy,  which 
shall  be  to  all  people — Christ  is  born  in  Bethlehem  of  Judea,who 
shall  save  his  people  from  their   sins" — and  who  was  his  peo- 
ple?    All  nations,  people,  kindred  and  tongues    was  given  to 
him  for  his  inhertance,  and  the  uttermost   parts  of  the  earth, 
for  his  possession.     Then  the  morning  stars  sang  together,  and 
all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy,  and  no  fire  and  brimstone 
was  used  in  the  proclamation  of   the  Gospel,    for  Christ  was 
heir  of  the  world,  for  God   gave  it  to  him,  and  he  says    he  did 
not  come  into  the  world  to  do  his  own  will,  but  the  will  of  the 
Father  that  sent  him — and  then  declares   that  it  is  God's  will 
that  all  men  should  be  saved.     Now,  will  God's  will  be  done — 
"I  did  not  come  into  the    world  to    condemn  the  world,  but  to 
save  the  world" — will  he  do  it  ? 

And  Christ  declares  that  he  will  reign  until  all  enemies 
shall  be  put  under  his  feet,  and  death  and  hell  shall  deliver  up 
their  dead,  and  there  shall  be  no  more  sorrow  and  crying,  say- 
ing, "0  death,  where  is  thy  sting,  0  grave  where  is  thy  victo- 
ry." The  monster  is  silent — then  the  kingdom  will  be  deliv- 
ered up  to  God,  the  Father,  that  He  shall  be  "all  in  all." 
Where  then  will  be  your  local,  brimstone  hell  ?  It  was  malice 
that  formed  a  devil  and  envy  built  his  hell ;  if  man  had  never 
had  animosity  to  his  fellow  man  the  doctrine  of  a  local  hell 
would  never  have  been  preached. 


Statesman. 


Kind  reader,  I  design  in  this  chapter  to  show  you  the  in- 
tention of  law-making  power.  It  is  for  the  protection  of  the 
inhabitants  and  for  detection  of  crime,  also  for  to  manage  the 
financial  affairs  of  the  nation.     First  to  calculate  the  expendi- 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  41 

tures  of  the  government  and  then  foot  up  the  income  to  the 
government,  and  if  you  find  the  expenditures  greater  than  tlic 
income,  what  then  ?  You  then  lay  on  the  people  an  additional 
tax,  and  the  taxes  already  exhorbitant — then  the  people  com- 
plains at  the  tax — says  the  members,  we  can't  help  it;  yes,  but 
I  think  you  can;  how?  by  taking  off  taxes,  first  from  thp  leg- 
islature, from  nine  dollars  to  five — and  you  will  not  serve  for 
five — there  is  thousands  in  Georgia  that  will,  that  is  as  well  or 
better  qualified  as  you  are — and  strike  off  of  high  salary  bills 
and  bring  relief  to  the  poor  tax  payers. — I  recollect  in  1865, 
after  Lee's  surrender,  there  was  an  election  held  for  members 
to  go  to  the  Legislature  and  they  met  in  counsel  and  the  first 
thing  they  done,  w^s  to  settle  down  on  the  salary  at  $9  per  day 
for  their  services — and  the  next  thing,  to  tax  poor  soldiers  that 
have  laid  on  the  tented  fields  of  Virginia  and  the  mud  of  the 
West  for  four  years,  was  imposed  on  them  two  dollars,  for  the 
reason  they  were  not  laid  under  Virginia  sod  or  Western  mud 
— and  these  men  in  counsel  drinking  fine  brandy,  smoking  fine 
cigars  and  keeping  company  with  the  ladies  of  fashion,  and 
them  poor  soldiers  at  home  without  a  dollar,  and  the  country 
demoralized,  and  nothing  he  could  do  if  he  had  have  been  able. 
Do  you  call  such  men  the  bone  and  sinew  of  a  Republic — have 
they  any  love  for. a  patriotic  and  a  Republican  form  of  Gov- 
ernment ?  They  care  for  nothing  but  the  loaves  and  fishes, 
and  it  makes  no  dift'erence  with  them,  whether  monarchs,  limi- 
ted or  unlimited,  despotic  or  anarchy,  so  they  can  control  the 
loaves  and  fishes.  Gentlemen,  we  should  be  on  our  guard,  on 
the  watch  tour — for  when  the  wicked    rule  the  nation  mourns. 


To  The  African  Race. 


In  consequence  of  your  ignora'nce,  which  was  made  so  by 
law,  I  feel  it  a  duty,  which  I  owe  to  myself,  my  country  and 
my  God,  to  give  you  a  synopsis  of  your  race  in  America,  from 
the  commencement  of  slavery  down  to  the  present  time,  1873. 
Slavery  of  Africans  commenced  in  the  year,  June,  1020,  by   the 


42  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

Dutch;  they  brought  into  Chesapeake  Bay  twenty  Africans  and 
sold  them  to  Virginia  phiuters  for  tobacco.  In  a  short  time 
thereafter,  England,  France,  Spain  and  America,  embarked  in 
that  artful  business  of  stealing  Africans  from  the  coasts  of  Af- 
rica, and  shipping  them  to  the  East  and  West  India  Islands 
and  to  America  and  selling  them  as  slaves,  until  the  days  of 
Washington's  administration,  he  checked  the  traffic  and  forbid 
the  importation  of  Africans  to  America.  But  in  a  few  years 
there  was  many  that  embarked  in  the  traffic  again  and  smug- 
led  into  the  ports,  ship  loads  of  Africans  and  sold  them  to  the 
highest  bidder;  they  still  kept  increasing  until  about  the  year 
1860,  at  which  time,  they  numbered  the  rise  of  four  millious, 
who  had  been  in  bondage  two  hundred  and  forty-four  years, 
from  the  commencement  of  their  captivity,  until  the  abolish= 
ment  of  slavery  in  America.  The  children  of  Israel  was  in 
bondage  about  four  hundred  and  seventy  years  to  Egyptian 
Kings,  and  they  were  miraculously  delivered  from  their  bond- 
age by  the  hand  of  Moses,  and  to  the  overthrow  of  the  Egyptian 
army  under  the  command  of  the  King  Pharoah.  And  to  you 
freedmen  of  America,  you  have  been  but  recently  freed  from 
bondage — the  bands  of  slavery  have  been  bursted  assunder,  and 
the  stain  of  slavery  washed  from  the  colors  of  the  United 
States,  and  Universal  freedom  proclaimed  to  the  world.  Now 
in  order  to  sustain  these  blessings  you  must  educate  your  chil- 
dren— use  industry  and  economy — be  punctual  in  all  your  deal- 
ings and  transactions  with  men,  and  be  your  guard-r-let  no  man 
deceive  you,  for  there  are  traps  and  snares  set  for  you  anywhere 
you  may  go,  therefore  use  industry  and  act  honorable. 


Two  Bites  at  a  Chetry* 


Immediately  after  Sherman  abandoned  Marietta,  it  was 
over  run  by  a  more  annoysome  race  of  men  than  that  just  left, 
and  their  motto  was,  get  all  you  can  and  where  you  can,  and 
how  you  can — and  there  was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Brace  who 
left  Marietta  and  went  North,  and  left  ten  sacks  of  corn 
(two  bushel  sacks  each)  with  JohuHardage,  and  the  people  on 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  43 

Willie,  heard  of  the  corn  and  an  officer  was  sent  up  with  a 
wagon  to  take  it  to  Willio,  and  was  dividing  it  out  amongst 
the  starving  women  and  children — and  thp  the  Captain  of  the 
Marietta  veteran  house  guards,  sent  an  officer  and  guards  with 
a  writ  to  take  them  and  the  corn,  and  bring  them  to  Marietta; 
they  brought  the  offenders  and  part  of  the  corn. — The  auth(jri- 
ties  put  the  men  in  jail  until  they  made  up  the  amout  of  twen- 
ty bushels  of  corn — then  the  Justice,  the  Lawer  and  Officers 
who  took  jurisdiction  of  the  case  called  a  court  and  brought 
those  offenders  before  them.  They  heard  evidence  in  a  sum- 
mary way.  The  offenders  moved  that  they  were  sent  by  the 
Captain  of  Willio  guards  and  to  distribute  it  amongst  the  poor 
people  of  that  place,  which  they  did,  until,  the  remnant  was 
taken  from  them  by  the  Marietta  guards.  The  court  that  had 
taken  jurisdiction  of  the  case  read  out  the  judgment  of  the 
court,  the  defendants  do  make  out  twenty  bushels  of  corn,  pay 
the  cost  and  be  discharged,  which  was  accordingly  done.  Then 
the  court  divided  the  spoils  amongst  them  as  follows,  to-wit : 
The  lawyer  taken  five  sacks  of  corn,  the  justice  made  out  his 
cost  and  the  bailiff  his  cost  with  all  additional  cost  and  the  ten 
bushels  of  corn  at  $5  per  bushel,  lacking  a  peck  paying  up  the 
cost.  Hardage  complained,  the  court  told  him  that  it  was  not 
necessary  to  take  two  bites  at  a  cherry,  and  forgive  Hardage 
the  peck  of  corn. 


Millerism. 


About  the  date  of  1842,  there  was  a  man  propped  himself 
as  a  prophet,  called  Miller,  and  he  predicted  that  on  a  certain 
day,  this  world  would  be  destroyed.  In  the  state  of  Illinois, 
there  resided  a  man  by  the  name  of  Dobson,  a  sturdy  and  firm 
believer  in  Millerism;  he  went  and  bought  a  sufficient  number 
of  yards  of  silk  with  pink  fiorence,  sufficient  to  line  the  robes, 
and  had  them  made,  five  in  number,  one  for  himself,  one  for 
his  dear  Mary,  one  for  his  son  Willie,  one  for  his  son  James 
and  one  for  his  little  daughter  Mary,  and  on  the  morning  of 
that  eventful    day,   Dobson,  his  wife   and  three  little  children 


44  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

put  on  thoir  robes,  ready  to  fly  into  glory  at  the  sound  of  Ga- 
briel's horn.  Dobson  mentioned  to  Mary,  his  wife,  that  they 
had  Init  a  short  time  to  stay  here  and  perhaps  there  might  bo 
some  small  things  bosomed  up  that  they  had  not  disclosed  to 
each  other  and  as  they  had  but  a  few  hours  to  make  a  revela- 
tion in.  His  dear  wife,  said  it  was  right,  so  husband  you  be- 
gin, no  dear  wife,  you  begin,  for  the  Apostle  said,  wive's  obey 
your  husbands  and  the  father  of  your  children.  Wife — then, 
in  the  sight  of  God,  I  expect  it  is  right,  so  husband,  little  Wil- 
lie is  not  vour  child — Merciful  dear  wife,  whose  child  is  Willie? 
He  is  the  Circuit  rider's  child,  that  had  so  many  revival  meet- 
ings the  year  before  Willie  was  born.  Merciful  God!  Well, 
go  on  Mary,  well,  Jimmy  is  not  yours  neither — who  is  Jimmy's 
father?  Grider,  the  brick  mason,  who  built  our  chimney. 
Merciful  God ! — Well,  go  on  Mary,  well,  Ittle  Mary  that  we 
both  love  so  well,  is  not  yours  neither.  Merciful  God,  who  is 
Mary's  father?  Mr.  Grider,  the  blind  shoe-maker  that  made 
shoes  at  the  cross  road.  Well,  Merciful  God — house  carpenters, 
circuit  riders  and  blind  shoe-makers — now  Gabriel  blow,  I  am 
ready,  blow. 


Idleness  and  Pride. 


Is  a  violation  of  a  sacred  law,  that  was  given  to  us  by  God 
himself.  Man,  l^y  disobeying  the  command  that  God  give  to 
him  was  turned  out  of  the  garden  of  Innocence,  and  then  and 
there,  he  received  his  sentence  for  disobedience.  That  sentence 
was,  he  should  till  the  earth  and  get  his  bread  by  the  sweat  of 
his  face — hoiv  long  Lord?  All  the  days  of  his  life,  until  thou 
return  to  the  dust,  for  dust  thou  art  and  unto  dust  shall  thou 
return — six  days  shall  thou  labor  and  rest  the  seventh,  for  God 
made  all  things  in  six  days  and  rested  the  seventh.  So  he  com- 
manded man,  that  six  days  should  he  labor  and  rest  on  the 
seventh,  which  is  the  Sabbath,  which  man  was  to  rest  and 
keep  sacred  or  holy.  Now  I  ask  the  reader  if  it  is  not  as  great 
a  violation  of  the  command  to  idle  the  six  days,  as  it  would  be 
to  labor  on  the  seventh  day. — Then  let  us  see    what    it  is  that 


Joseph  Gault's  Rp:ports.  45 

constitutes  crime ;  it  is  the  violation  of  a  law,  and  wIkmi  wc 
take  close  examination  of  idleness  and  pride,  is  tlie  j)arent  of 
many  crimes,  and  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the  i)arent  is  the  pri- 
mary cause — for  instance,  parents,  your  only  son  and  many 
daughters,  he  is  the  pet,  and  becomes  able  to  follow  the  plow, 
the  parent  comes  to  the  conclusion  that  it  be  dishonorable  for 
him  to  labor — but  perhaps  necessity  compel  them  to  hire  out — 
perhaps  to  a  farmer  to  laltor  in  the  farm  and  the  parent,  per- 
haps a  widow  woman,  tells  him,  now  son,  if  he  {the  employer) 
works  you  too  hard  and  does  not  give  you  enough  to  eat,  you 
come  home  and  tell  me  and  you  shall  not  go  back — about  the 
second  or  third  day  he  comes  and  tells  his  mother  that  he  was 
badly  treated — well  you  shall  not  go  back,  and  I  will  try  and 
make  some  arrangement  with  the  school  master  and  send  you 
next  week,  but  be  a  good  boy;  but  if  he  whips  you,  do  you 
come  strait  home  and  tell  me,  and  that  will  be  the  last  lick  he 
will  ever  lay  on  your  back,  in  my  time.  She  starts  him  to 
school  and  in  less  than  one  week,  he  comes  puffing  home,  well 
mother,  that  old  4evil  has  whipped  me  bad,  what  for  son  ? 
(what  for,)  nothing  more  than  for  whipping  a  little  boy  that 
insulted  me.  Well,  he  shall  whip  you  no  more — he  then  com- 
menced sliding  over  the  country  robbing  orchards,  etc.,  and 
his  mother  loves  him  so  much  that  she  conceals  his  crimes,  and 
as  he  grows  up  in  age  he  grows  in  crime  until  he  finds  a  home 
in  a  prison.     So  much  for  the  sympathy  of  a  tender  mother. 


Craftsmen. 


If  I  understand  what  T  read,  T  understand  the  Gospel  to  be 
good  tidings  of  joy,  that  was  to  all  people,  nations,  kindred 
and  tongues — was  given  to  Christ  for  his  inheritance,  and  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  his  possession  and  when  some 
of  the  disciples  asked  Christ  when  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
would  come  unto  them,  he  tells  them,  that  already  had  the 
kingdom  of  God  come  unto  you,  "for  I  am  the  life  and  the 
resurrection,  etc."  He  also  tells  them  that  he  did  not  come 
into  the  world  to  do  his   own  will,  Init  the   will  of  the  father 


4G  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

that  sent  me — I  did  not  come  to  condemn  the  world,  l)ut  to 
save  the  world,  and  I  can  do  nothing  except  the  father  that 
sent  me  give  it  to  me — will  he  do  it  ?  That  doctrine  appears 
to  me  more  like  the  Gospel  than  this  fire  and  brimstone  doc- 
trine. But  kind  reader,  I  will  give  you  one  reason  why  this 
brimstone  doctrine  is  preached.  If  you  recollect  when  Paul 
went  to  preach  to  the  Ephesians,  they  had  a  goddess  Diana, 
and  when  Paul  commenced  preaching  they  all,  with  one  voice, 
cried  out,  great  is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians,  and  continued  for 
the  space  of  three  hours,  and  drowned  the  voice  of  Paul  so, 
that  he  could  not  be  heard,  and  the  town  clerk  asked  them  the 
cause  of  this  day's  uproar,  and  that  they  were  in  danger  of  be- 
ing called  before  the  council  tomorrow  for  the  same,  when 
Diametris,  the  silver  smith,  who  made  shrines  for  the  goddess 
Diana,  said  sir,  by  this  craft  we  have  our  wealth,  and  perhaps 
those  crafts,  preaching  fire  and  brimstone,  they  have  their 
wealth.  I  wish  my  American  friends  to  recollect  that  wretch- 
ed doctrine  has  not  been  preached  in  Europe  for  several  years 
past,  and  this  doctrine  serves  as  a  hobby  horse  to  ride.  Thous- 
ands of  Gospel  speculators  into  grandeur  and  ease,  without 
labor  and  industry ;  they  do  not  visit  the  fatherless  and  the 
widow  in  their  afflictions,  and  do  not  keep  themselves  unspot- 
ted from  the  world.  I  will  give  my  reader  a  more  full  history 
in  another  chapter  in  the  sequel  of  this  work. 


Correspondence  of  Letters. 


Some  years  past  there  was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Green 
Prewit,  a'loafer,  a  lying  round  Marietta,  an  author  had  a  brow 
ditch  to  cut  some  eight  or  ten  rods,  and  author  contracted  with 
Prewit  to  cut  the  ditch.  He  came  on  Monday  morning — author 
took  the  tools  and  went  with  Prewit  and  staked  off  the  ditch — 
he  brought  a  boy  with  him  and  said  he  wanted  a  shoulder  of 
bacon.  I  went  and  let  him  have  a  shoulder  that  weighed  some 
fifteen  or  sixteen  pounds,  and  he  then  commenced  the  ditch. 
I  then  went  up  to  the  city  and  returned  at  11  o'clock,  and  went 
down  to  the  ditch, — he  had  stuck  his    maddox  in  a  few   times 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  47 

and  left  the  tools  there  and  was  gone.  I  saw  him  no  more  un- 
til Saturday  thereafter — I  asked  liini  why  hf  did  not  finish 
that  ditch  he  said  he  had  to  go  and  get  meal.  I  asked  him  why 
hedid  notcome  and  I  would  have  furnished  him  meal, he  said  he 
did  not  know  that, but  he  would  come  Monday  morning  and  fin- 
ish the  ditch. — That  night  he  run  away,  and  the  next  thing  1 
heard  of  him,  he  was  in  upper  hog  thief  district,  in  old  Pendle- 
ton, S.  C. — Some  year  or  two  thereafter  I  received  a  letter  from 
Elberton,  and  when  I  opened  it,  I  discovered  it  was  from  my 
friend  Green  Prewit,  in  these  words,  Dear  old  friend,  I  avail 
myself  through  the  mercy  of  God,  to  inform  you  that  I  am 
just  recovering  from  a  long  spell  of  sickness,  and  I  want  you, 
if  you  have  to  neglect  all  other  business,  and  write  to  me  what 
has  become  of  poor  Bill  Abies  and  Sill  Scrogins,  as  I  can 
not  hear  what  has  become  of  them.  Tell  poor  Sill  his  old 
mother  is  no  more,  and  his  brother  has  lost  two  children,  and 
I  have  been  lying  at  the  point  of  death,  but  has  got  able  to  at- 
tend my  church  again.  Since  I  have  been  a  class  leader,  I  have 
taken  in  80  or  90  members,  and  religion  is  thriving  fast,  and 
be  certain  to  write  to  me  what  has  become  of  them  poor  boy's. 

Green  Prewit. 

In  reply  to    yours  of date,  is   before    me  and  contents 

duly  noticed,  and  I  can  say  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory  to  hear  that  the  Lord  has  commenced  such  a  glorious 
'  work  amongst  your  relatives,  and  may  he  never  stay  the  ham- 
mer of  death,  until  he  destroys  the  whole  of  you  and  place  you 
in  h — 1  with  the  beasts  and  fasle  Prophets,  where  the  smoke  of 
torment  will  ascend  up  forever,  until  you  pay  me  for  that 
shoulder  of  meat  or  finish  that  ditch,  you  scamp. 

Joseph  Gault. 


A   Dialogue. 


This  Dialogue  took  place  at  McAfee's  store,  in  Gwinnett 
Couuty,  some  years  past,  between  author  and  a  man  by  the 
name  <^f  James  Berry,  then  a  Jude;e  of  the  Inferior  Court  of 
Cobb  County.  It  is  generally  known  that  Judges  of  Inferior 
Courts  and  Justice's  of  the  Peace,  are  generally  men  of  talents, 
which  you  will  find  the  truth  of  my  assertion  to  be  true  in  the 
sequel  of  this  case. 

Said  the  Judge  to  author,  what  a  pity  it  is,  that  you  do 
not  go  and  join  the  church,  as  you  are  a  man  of  common  sense, 
and  have  a  good  mind  and  might  command  respect — but  your 
way  of  thinking  I  cannot  believe  in. 

On  what  principle  asked  the  author  ?  Why  that  universal, 
deistical,  Atheist  principle. 

So  you  know  the  difference  between  a  IJniversalist,  a  Deist 
and  Atheist  ? 

No,  I  cannot  say  I  do. 

That  is  because  you  are  a  fool  and  a  hypocrite. 

Do  you  say  I  am  a  hypocrite  ? 

I  did  sir. 

Can  you  prove  it  ? 

I  can  sir. 

By  whom  ? 

By  the  Testament. 

I  will  admit  the  evidence. 

Author  asked  McAfee  for  a  testament,  which  was  handed 
him  and  turned  to  28rd  Matthew,  saying,  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees  set  in  Moses  seat  and  what  they  tell  you  to  do,  do 
not,  they  bind  heavy  burdens  and  lay  on  others  shoulders, 
which  they  themseves  do  not  touch  with  one  of   their  fingers ; 

they  have  a  form  of  godliness  but  deny  the  power  thereof. — 
Now  said  author,  look  to  the  cut  of  your  coat  and  see  if  I 
have  not  proved  my  position.  He  arose  from  his  seat,  pulled 
off  his  round  breasted  coat,  rolled  up  his  sleeves,  spit  in  his 
hands,  and  swore  if  author  did  not  fear  God,  he  soon  should 
fear  man  and  that  he  would  knock  author  to  hell;  author  told 
Berry  he  did  not  fear  his  hell,  but  them  Ijig  black  fists  of  his. 
Author  got  to  the  counter  scales  and  got  a  weight,  McAfee  in- 
terposed and  the  case  settled.  Berry  set  down  blowing  like  a 
setting  goose. 


Joseph  GADI/^'^^  Rki'orts.  4^) 

Strong  Light  and  Close  Examination. 


This  chapter  brings  my    work  near  to    a  close.     I  have  for 
many    years,     hibored    hard    to  find    out  the  workings  of   thi' 
human  heart  together  with  its  virtues  and  vices,    and  I  find  it. 
to  be  a  hard    study — the  best  idea   that  I  can  draw    from    the 
actions  of  men,  I  find  in  the  sacred  writings  of  Almighty  God, 
viz:     "You  shall  know   the   tree    by    its  fruits — men    do    not 
gather  grapes  of    thorns  nor  figs  of  thistles" — and    all  the  way 
that  I  can   form  a  correct  idea  of  the    character  of    men,  is  by 
their  fruits,  and  at  this  present  time,  how  many  thousand  is  in 
Georgia  that  is  floating  over  the  country,  as   cholastic  divines, 
to  save  men  from  the    wrath   of   God,  in  a  world  to  com9,  for 
crimes  committed  in  this  world — and  they  do    this  as  Diame- 
tris  did,  in  the  19th  chapter  of  the  Acts;  by   this  craft  sir,  we 
have  our  wealth,  from    one  thousand  to  two    thousand  dollars 
per  year,  and  still  begging    the    church   for  more  money,    and 
they  cannot  live  on  a  thousand  dollars  per  annum,  and  I  lived 
and  supported  myself  and  family  on  fifteen  dollars  per  month 
and  saved  fifty    dollars  per    year  and    had  plenty.     No,    kind 
reader,  they  are  greedy  dogs — they  are  huugr}'  dogs — every  one 
seeking  his  gain  from  his    own  quarters,  and  as  Hosea  says,  as 
a  company  of  robbers    waits  for  a  man,  so    does  a  company  of 
Priests,  and  they  are  willingly  devoured    by  them.     Now  kind 
reader,  I  will  try  and  show  you  the  fruits  that  a  great  many  of 
these  heralds  of  brimstone  bring  forward.     Look  to  the  lunatic 
asylum,  and  there  you  will  witness  the  fruits  of   their  labors; 
then  kind  reader,  look    to  many  of  those  heralds  of   sin  of  tiic 
darkest  hue;  you  will  often  see  Brothers    in  the   church  get, to 
trading,  and  they  soon  commence  lying,  cheating  and  swindling 
each  other  until  they  are    discarded — they  report  and  soon  get 
back,  and  then  they  become  two  fold  more  a  child  of  hell  than 
they  were  before.     Secondly,  I  will  give  you  another  synopsis 
how  a  great  many  of  these    heralds  is  getting  on  in  the  Gospel 
as  they  call  it — look  at  Brother  Wood  of  Decatur,  sentenced  to 
the  Penitentiary — look  to  Brother  Rogers,  of  Warsaw, for  seduc- 
ing Sarah  Miller — look  to  Brother  Hutchius,  of  Forsyth  couDty, 


50  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

who  took  a  Miss  Cano  and  lodged  with  her  at  the  Fletcher  House 
in  Marietta  and  applied  to  a  physician  for. medicine  for  abor- 
tion— look  to  Brother  Harkey,  who  seduced  Ary  Card 
at  Smyrna,  in  Col)I) — then  look  to  similar  cases  on  '  oaps 
Creek,  and  recently  on  Nickajack,  by  an  old  disciple  of  the 
cross — look  to  L.  Tatum,  of  Board  Town  Creek,  in  Gilmer 
County,  a  Baptist  preacher,  who  seduced  a  young  sister  by  the 
name  of  Morris  and  I  was  after  him  with  a  sharp  stick  and  he 
left  the  country,  and  there  are  other  Brothers  and  all  the 
names  I  have  mentioned  were  preachers,  and  Brother  Tucker, 
of  Jonesborough,  I  did.jnot  get  a  lick  at  him,  but  the  church 
there  can  account  for  him,  and  another  good,  God  loving,  God 
fearing  Minister  of  the  Gospel,  prays  that  he  was  under  the 
Czar  of  Russia,  and  he  hates  the  Grant  government  and  wishes 
that  ten  Yankees  was  in  the  United  States  Cemetery  instead  of 
one.     How  can  an  honest  man  mingle  with  such  a  race  of  men. 


The  Watch  Tower* 


Kind  reader,  I  intend  in  this  short  work  not  to  satisfy  or 
deceive  you,  but  to  publish  facts  as  they  are  developed  to  me. 
I  have  a  broad  field  to  regale  in,  but  a  short  space  to  include 
my  views  and  opinions,  and  I  intend  to  do  so,  without  levity 
on  my  part,  and  I  do  not  intend  to  dob  with  intemperate  mor- 
tar, and  I  know  that  an  author  that  speaks  or  writes  against  a 
nation  that  is  proud  and  monarchial,  the  hand  of  that  govern- 
ment is  opposed  to  that  writer.  Kind  and  gentle  reader,  I  am 
far  advanced  in  life  and  deprecate  politics,  yet  I  have  my  own 
opinions,  which  are  the  dictates  of  my  judgment  and  not  that 
of  a  designing  leader,  nor  of  an  intrigueing  demagogue.  The 
question  that  now  agitates  the  public  mind,  is  our  government 
on  as  sound  a  basis  as  it  was  before  the  rebellion  of  the  South? 
The  question  is  ready;  look  to  South  Carolina  and  see  the 
United  States  troops  i;hat  is  iatationed  in  that  State;  look  at 
Alabama,  it  is  in  a  similar  couditiori. ---Before  this   rebellion 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  51 

we  was  a  nation  living  in  peaco  and  harmony,  but  since  that 
time,  there  has  been  no  peace  nor  harmony  amongst  oven 
neighbors,  l)ut  war's  and  malice  reign.  This  govfM'nment  may 
stand  one  hundred  years  longer,  bttt  I  doubt  it.  The  Roman 
government  stood  for  several  hundred  years,  and  at  last  the 
Huns  and  the  Goths,  whilst  the  Roman  counsel  was  in  her  an- 
cient capitol  these  barbarians,  unexpected  to  the  Romans,  was 
seated  in  her  ancient  capitol  with  their  banner  proudly  Haunt- 
ing the  air  in  scornful  defiance  of  their  Scipios  and  Csezars. 
Greece,  the  seat  of  arts  and  science,  culture  and  painting, 
philosophers  and  poets,  historians  and  heroes,  who  gloried  in 
her  liberties,  even  more  than  of  giving  birth  to  such  an  off- 
spring— while  united,  she  defied  the  powers  of  Macedonia,  with 
her  servile  ranks  of  drilled  soldiers ;  but  when  divided,  she  fell, 
paled  and  obscured  before  the  blazipg  crescent,  uplifted  by  the 
turbaned  Turk.  Such  is  the  fate  of  all  governments  when 
divided. 


Calvinism. 


The  doctrine  of  Calvinism  is  a  doctrine  that  long  since, 
ushered  into  what  is  generally  called  orthordox  churches,  and  I 
wish  the  reader  to  understand  that  I  am  no  calumniator  of 
Christianity,  but  to  lay  before  the  reader  the  fundamental  doc- 
trine of  Calvinism  which  is  developed  in  a  hymn  written  by 
Dr.  Evans  and  Emmons,  as  follows,  both  Calvanistic  writers: 

I  am  a  thorough  Calvinist, 

I  love  the  few  elect. 
And  all  belonging  to  that  naim; 

I'll  treat  with  due  respect. 

All  other  sects  or  names 

I  boldly  disavow. 
Stand  by  yourself  come  not  near  me, 

I  holier  am  than  thou. 


52  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

In  my  good  Bible  oft  I  fiud 
Those  words  of  scripture  true, 

The  Lord  lias  many  people  called 
Yet  chosen  but  a  few. 

Thesfe  chosen  few  shall  l)e  at  last 
Conducted  safe  to  heaven, 

Shall  sing  of  Calvinistic  joys 
With  all  our  sins  forgiven. 

Whilst  on  the  other  hand  we  view 

The  reprobate  in  hell, 
Oh  how  it  will  our  joys  increase 

To  hear  their  damned  yells. 

Although  our  wives  and  children  too 

Are  rolling  in  the  fire, 
Oh,  how  it  will  our  joys  inceease 

That  we  are  so  much  higher. 

High  in  the  heavens  amongst  the   bliss 
No  mortal  tongue  can  tell. 

The  joy  of  saints  when  looking  down 
On  the  damned  souls  in  hell. 

Who  will  not  join  our  church 

Of  Calvinistic  heirs. 
And  for  our  order  earnestly 

Unite  our  fervent  prayers. 

Lord  bring  the  elect  people  home, 
Prepare  them  for  the  shout, 

Amen,  glory,  hallalujah, 

When  the  wicked  are  sluit  out. 


Joseph  Gault's  REroirrs.  58 


Jealousy  Accounted  For. 


Some  years  past  there  was  a  man  who  resideci  in  one  of  th(; 
Southern  States  by  the  name  of  J.  S.,  a  merchant,  and  his 
wife's  name  was  Darling,  and  his  wife  Darling,  become  jealous 
of  him,  and  led  her  husband  a  wretched  life,  and  there  was  not 
a  woman  from  Gath  to  Askelon,  but  what  she  charged  with 
the  offence  of  adultery — and  there  was  a  woman  by  the  name 
of  Sally  Gunter,  that  lived  some  four  or  five  miles  off,  and  Mrs. 
Darling  heard  from  some  gossiper  that  Sally  Gunter  was  with 
child;  then  she  broke  in  upon  her  husband,  "yes  you  little 
spike  legged  son  of  a  bitch,  you  have  been  spiking  about  until 
you  have  spiked  old  Sal  Gunter;  now  you  have  got  yourself  in 
a  hell  of  fix."  In  a  short  time  one  of  those  old  gossipers  comes 
and  tells  Mrs.  Darling  that  old  Sal  Gunter  had  a  baby — 
yes,  and  now  I  know  it,  it  belongs  to  old  spike  legs,  and  he  is 
now  in  a  hell  of  a  fix ;  in  a  few  nights,  she  had  stepped  into  the 
kitchen  and  when  she  come  back  and  took  her  seat,  she  heard 
the  crying  of  an  infant  at  the  door,  she  went  to  the  door  and 
found  a  basket  hanging  on  the  nob,  she  took  it  off  and  found 
on  top  of  the  bundle  a  letter  directed  to  her  husband- — here  sir, 
I  have  sent  you  the  baby  to  raise  and  I  trust  in  God  that  you 
will  raise  it  to  be  a  better  man  than  you  have  been,  and  not 
tell  lies  as  you  have  done  to  me,  and  do  not  let  your  wife  know 
anything  of  this  matter.     Yours,  Sally  Gunter. 

She  read  the  letter  and  went  to  the  door  and  called  for  old 
spike  legs,  he  come  in — said  she,  here  is  a  present  to  you  from 
old  Sal  Gunter — she  has  sent  her  respects  to  you,  accompanied 
with  a  baby.  They  lived  in  a  town  and  she  went  to  the  door 
and  called  for  her  nearest  neighbors  to  come  witness  the  truth 
of  what  she  had  told  against  old  spike  legs,  and  when  the  peo- 
ple come  in,  she  opened  her  battery  by  reading  the  letter,  and 
then  said,  I  have  told  what  an  old  devil  he  is ;  she  then  took 
the  basket  and  commenced  unfolding  the  rags  that  the  infant 
was  rolled  in,  and  the  baby  a  squalling    and  kicking.     Do  you 


54  Joseph  Gault's  Reports. 

not  know  that  is  old  spike  legs  child — do  you  see  how  it  kicks 
and  turns  about  just  like  old  spike  legs;  he  is  never  still  one 
minute  in  a  day.  Don't  you  hear  how  the  little  devil  screams 
and  kicks  just  like  its  daddy. — Look  at  old  spike  legs,  he 
can't  be  still  not  a  minute  and  when  he  sees  his  baby  he  got 
by  old  Sal  Gunter,  you  will  see  tears  begin  to  roll  from  his  old 
eyes,  an  old  devil.  Don't  you  hear  how  that  little  devil  squalls 
and  kicks — I  bet  a  large  wager  when  I  unrapt  it  that  you  will 
say  that  old  spike  legs  is  its  daddy — and  when  she  had  got  nil 
the  rags  from  Ai'ouiul  the  infant  out  jumped  the  old  tom  cat 
and  trotting  over  the  floor;  so  much  for  a  reconciliation. 


Gaolt^s  Farewell  Address. 


Kind  reader,  since  writing  out  my  fourth  edition  of  my  re- 
ports, I  have  been  called  upon  by  my  friends,  to  give  them  my 
reasons  for  writing  out  that  work,  and  I  think  it  disrespectful 
to  disappoint  public  curiosity,  and  in  obedience  to  the  dictates 
of  my  conscience  I  am  a  firm  and  steady  believer  in  the  sacred 
writings  of  Almighty  God, and  believe  in  the  prophesies  thereof 
throughout.  The  first  reason  is,  I  am  publishing  this  work, 
as  I  am  a  man  far  advanced  in  life,  now  80  years  old,  and 
knowing  that  the  approximation  is  close,  even  at  the  door,  and 
looking  over  the  catalogue  of  the  world,  and  seeing  the  in- 
crease of  corruption  in  it,  I  feel  it  a  duty  I  owe  to  myself,  my 
country  and  my  Go<l,  that  I  should  leave  the  public  my  expe- 
rience for  the  last  70  years.  I  was  born  of  Presbyterian  parents 
— I  soon  become  of  adult  age — I  left  my  parents  in  the  war  of 
1812,  in  my  19th  year — in  the  year  1815,  I  commenced  teach- 
ing school  on  Packolet  River,  and  in  the  date  of  1820  I  emigra- 
ted to  Georgia,  and  in  the  date  of  1830  late  in  life,  I  commenc- 
ed the  practice  of  law — in    the  days  of    Warner,  Hillyer,  An- 


Joseph  Gault's  Reports.  55 

drews,  Hiil,  Irwin  and  Rice,  up  to  the  days  of  18(50,  until  the 
rebellion  took  place,  and  up  to  that  time,  I  can  say  that  I  en- 
joyed life  in  its  full  bloom,  more  than  I  ever  have  since.  I  as- 
sociated with  gentlemen  of  the  bar- -with  all  the  hilarity  of 
the  bar  around  the  convivial  board  of  Attorneys,  and  I  hope 
that  they  will  continue  to  be  my  warm  patrons  and  not  forsake 
one  of  their  own  household  in  life,  and  when  dead  escort  me  to 
the  tomb  as  though  living.  As  to  the  clergy  of  the  Christian 
columns,  long  may  they  live  and  may  Christianity  flourish  and 
grow  up  to  be  a  great  tree,  and  all  nations  of  the  earth  may 
fiock  to  it;  but  as  to  those  Pharisees  and  hypocrites,  who  come 
forward  with  disfigured  faces  and  embroidered  garments  and 
set  in  Moses  seat,  and  have  become  the  counselors  of  the  Lord, 
who  bind  heavy  burdens  and  lay  on  others  shoulders,  which 
they  themselves  do  not  touch  with  one  of  their  fingers;  may 
God  soon  muster  these  bands  of  adulterers  and  fornicators  and 
march  them  to  the  land  of  the  oblivion,  where  I  wish  them  a 
long  and  peaceful  repose  in  the  bosom  of  nonentity. 

As  to  statesmen  who  is  pushing  themselves  into  the  law- 
making powders  of  the  State  in  1865,  after  Lee's  surrender  and 
raised  their  salary  from  $5  per  day  to  $9 — I  say  march  them  in 
another  band  of  Pope's  priests  aud  kings,  adulterers  and  forn- 
icators, beggars  and  swindlers  for  taking  $9  per  day  and  mak- 
ing poor  soldiers  pay  $2  per  year  for  laying  on  the  tented  fields 
of  bottle  four  years  and  returned  without  one  dollar  in  their 
pocket,  and  their  wives  and  children  destitute.  I  say  march 
that  band  of  veterans  to  where  they  will  never  again  show  their 
heinous    heads  in  confusion,  shame  and  despair. 

Joseph  GauLt. 


56  JosETH  Gaitlt's  Rkpokts 


Gault's  Reports  Higher  than  Common  Law  or  Massachusetts  Law, 


M.  R.  Staiisell.  :i  la\vv<n-  wlio  once  lived  at  Ainericus,  Ga-, 
told  :ui  umnsing  story  of  Gault's  Justice's  Reports     Rakestraw 

and of  Covington,  Ga.,  went  out  to  argue  a  case  before  a 

rural  Justice.     argued  his  case  in  good  style   and    quoted 

abundant  authority  to  convince,  and  among  the  cases  cited  by 
him  was  a  Massachusetts  decision  and  some  common  law  re- 
ports that  seemed  to  carry  special  weight. 

Rakestraw  seeing  his  case  was  desperate  and  knowing  that 
the  Justice  had  a  particular  prejudice  against  abolitionists, made 
the  following  observation  in  his  concluding  argument.  "May 
it  please  your  honor,  my  distinguished  opponent  says  he  has 
shown  by  the  common  law  that  his  case  is  right.  Sir  it  is  an  in- 
sult for  a  lawyer  in  this  court  to  quote  only  common  law — this 
court  is  entitled  to  the  highest  and  best  law  and  as  good  law  as 
any  court.  Besides  sir  this  common  law  which  he  quotes  he  goes 
up  and  brings  down  the  abolitionist  law  of  Massachusetts  and 
quotes  that  to  your  honor  which  is  a  greater  insult.  If  our  courts 
were  to  pay  attention  to  Massachusetts  law  all  our  negroes 
would  be  free  before  the  present  year  is  out.  It  won't  do  in 
Georgia — he  ought  to  go  to  Massachusetts  to  quote  such  com- 
mon law  as  that.  Now  may  it  please  your  honor  I  have  here 
Gault's  Justice  of  Peace  Decisions.  The  Decisions  of  your 
honor's  own  court  and  made  right  here  in  Georgia  and  no  man 
can  doubt  them.  They  are  not  common  law,  nor  abolition  law, 
I)ut  Georgia  law  and  made  for  Georgia  Justices  and  it  fits  this 


case." 


The  old  Justice  was  convinced  and  decided  in  favor  of 
Rakestraw  to  the  great  disgust  of . 

In  a  few  days  the  Justice  called  at  the  office  of  Judge 
Floyd  in  Covington  and  was  there  informed  that  Gault's  Re- 
ports were  simply  a  burlesque  on  Justices  of  the  Peace.  His 
rage  thnn  knew  no  bounds  and  he  swore  he  would  whip  "Squire" 
Rakestraw  if  ever  again  he  brought  a  copy  of  Gault's  Reports 
to  Gooseneck  Court  Ground. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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